One point on the earth’s surface moves 460 meters in one second from A to B which would look very fast if you would be very near to earth frozen in place looking at it. I know that’s not possible because your position is relative to earth and there is no absolute center in the galaxy and that it is always about relativity to something and stuff, which I also don’t really get.
But I am just wondering right now, how come it looks so slow from so far away?
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>But I am just wondering right now, how come it looks so slow from so far away?
Same reason a plane looks pretty slow from the ground even though they’re likely flying hundreds of miles per hour.
It’s parallax. You don’t notice the distance they travel, what you see is the angle they move. Close up, something only has to move slightly to have a big change in angle. Further away, a large distance only produces a small change in angle.
Put a finger up right in front of your nose. Close one eye and then the other. Even though it’s not actually moving, the change in angle means it looks like your finger is moving a lot.
Now hold your finger out in front of your nose at arms length and do the same thing. It still looks like it’s moving, but not by nearly as much, because the angle is smaller.
That’s parallax.
Same reason why when you’re moving in a car, the houses near you look like they’re moving the same speed you are, but the skyscrapers in the distance don’t look like they’re moving very fast, even though they’re moving the same distance relative to you.
It doesn’t matter if it’s you that’s moving or the thing you’re looking at, it’s the same effect.
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