I just don’t get it.

According to the theory of special relativity, nothing can ever move faster than light speed.
But due to the expansion of the universe, sufficiently distant stars move away from us faster than the speed of light.
And the explanation is…that this universal speed limit doesn’t apply to things that are really far away?
Please make it make sense!

  • NegentropicBoy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    17·
    7 days ago

    An analogy I recall is being on the surface of an expanding balloon.

    There may be a speed limit on surface travel, but a point far away may recede faster than the travel speed limit due to expansion.

    • Kairos@lemmy.todayEnglish
      47·
      7 days ago

      Oh yeah but if I say the exact same thing i get downvoted because that’s “not how special relativity works”

      • Sas@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        7·
        6 days ago

        That is not at all the thing you said. You said two objects moving away from each other each at the speed of light in non-expanding space would be perceived by each other as going at double the speed of light which does indeed not work like that in relativity.