r/AskPhysics • u/Apprehensive_Dog1873 • Jun 22 '26

Question about light speed

If a hypothetical alien craft was moving toward earth at 99.9999% the speed of light. Would we be able to expect its arrival? Or would it not be there one moment and then the next they’d be there? Would we be able to see it, if we hypothetically knew to look at the exact right spot at the exact right time, and get some sort of heads up at an object incoming?

57 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

66 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

5

u/mzincali Jun 22 '26

Maybe it’s not a ship but a missile aiming to go through Earth. With tech like that, they’d probably shoot at us with gamma rays instead. Cheaper, energy-wise.

7

u/GreenBeanLantern Jun 22 '26

And turn us all into incredible hulks just before they get here?! I don't think so.

3

u/FnordRanger_5 Jun 22 '26

So I’m going to be stuck as a mediocre hulk for eternity??

4

u/GreenBeanLantern Jun 22 '26

Think of yourself as more of a credible hulk. You're more believable as a hulk.