Re: How big does an object have to be to 'sail' on light at the speed of it?

Date: Mon Jul 6 19:01:01 1998
Posted By: Brian Kane, Post-doc/Fellow, Astronomy, AstroPlace, Inc.
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 896207575.As

Message:


It doesn't matter how big the object is,
since anything which has mass can not travel at the
speed of light.

Even though an object will never reach light speed,
light falling upon it does create a pressure, and the
bigger the object, the larger the force with which
the light can propel it.  However, the bigger the object,
the more inertia it has, and the harder it is for the
light to get it moving.

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