If two spaceships travel in opposite direction at .6c (the speed of light) from earth, then why aren’t they exceeding the speed of light relative to each other?

Question

I understand that if I am standing on earth and a space ship takes off and travels at .6c, then I perceive the space traveler receding at .6c relative to me, and the space traveler perceive me as receding at .6c relative to him. If another traveler takes off in the 180-degree opposite direction, then likewise I perceive the other space traveler receding at .6c relative to me, and the other space traveler perceive me as receding at .6c relative to him.

So why don’t they perceive each other as traveling faster than c, the speed of light?

In: 29

Answer 1

The very ELI5 answer is: we don’t know.

We *observe* that is works this way, we accept it as undeniable truth, but we don’t have an explanation as of why it happens.

We can go into the math of how to measure relative velocities, but they don’t add any value to *why* c is the limit of velocity