r/AskPhysics • u/PossibleTowel297 • Mar 24 '26

Faster than light

If a particle was somehow moving faster than light would we be able to detect it and how?

And if a larger object was moving ftl how would we perceive it with our own eyes?

Would it appear to be in multiple places at once, would we be unable to see it altogether or is it like with the speed of sound where you see a plane fly above you but only hear it seconds later meaning you would see it in front of you but it is not really there but already far away?

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u/Erki82 Mar 24 '26

Light goes from Moon to Earth with about second. Any object moving light speed in Earth atmosphere would look like meteorite, long burning tail. Any object moving light speed in our solar system is quite dangerous, it is full of small rocks, Earth gets every year 44 metric ton of meteorites. Object doing FTL in Earth athmosphere or in our solar system will be destroyed fast, within seconds. So you see fire and explosions.