Answer to Question #96445 in Mechanics | Relativity for AbdulRehman

Question

Calculate the size of the stellar aberration effect in Newtonian physics for
light coming straight down at speed c and a telescope moving straight
sideways at speed v. At what angle θ must we point the telescope to see
the star? Hint: In what direction is the light moving in the reference frame
of the telescope? Express θ in terms of v and c. Give the exact value, not
the small v approximation mentioned in the main chapter.

Answer 1

In this problem the velocity of telescope is perpendicular to that of light so,

Abberation angle will be,

$\tan\theta=\frac{v}{c}$

If v is the tangential velocity of earth around sun

And also c is speed of light

So,

$v=3\times 10^4\ m\ sec^{-1}$

$c=3\times10^8\ m\ sec^{-1}$

So,

$\tan\theta=10^{-4}$

Now

$\theta =tan\theta= 0.0001\ radian$