A simulation depicting how a trip around Earth would look like if it were taken at the speed of light has shocked millions of viewers online.
You've probably heard people say they can do things 'lightning quick' or at 'light speed', but have you ever sat back and wondered just how quick that would be, or is it just me?
Well firstly, it's impossible to move at the speed of light, despite how good you may think your ninja skills may be and secondly, if you could, there is a quantifiable speed that it moves at, that humans haven't been able to achieve yet.
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Strap in and get your science hats on, folks.
The speed that light travels at doesn't change, and it is known as the upper limit for the speed that matter or energy can travel through space, according to the special theory of relativity.
It is a universal physical constant that is exactly equal to 299,792,458 metres per second.
The speed is almost unfathomable to most, so to see it in a video has been eye-opening to many.
At its widest point (the equator), our world is 24,901 miles (40074.275 km) in circumference, so how would it look to do a round of that, at the speed of light?
Wonder no more.
In the YouTube clip, which has gone viral with over 25 million views, it starts by showing a couple of videos that people may think the speed would be like, before revealing that the trip would take a staggering 0.13 seconds.
It's a true example of blink and you'll miss it, as the speed of light clip happens in a flash, before the video breaks down the eight frames that make up the journey.
Starting in New York and travelling in a southwesterly direction at first, the first two frames are of the Pacific Ocean, followed by one frame of Brisbane, Australia, before two frames of the Indian Ocean.
The sixth frame is in the Saudi Arabian desert, followed by one frame in Zimbabwe, Africa, before finally ending up in New York on the final frame, completing the circle.
We think that the Saudi Arabia frame may be an error on their part, as the trajectory doesn't show it passing the Middle East, but the journey it takes and just how many of the frames are water highlights how quick the speed of light is, and how much of our planet is made of water.
Users flocked to the comments to share their thoughts, as one pointed out: "What’s even crazier is that even with how fast light is, the sun is so far away that it still takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds for sunlight to reach Earth."
Another said: "The fact that Pacific ocean took 2 frames tells a lot on how massive that thing is."
And a third shared: "Now imagine traveling this fast for a billion years straight. And still not being able to each the edge of the universe. Insane."
Topics: Science, Space, Viral, YouTube, World News
Joshua Nair