Looking deep into space.. Another earth perhaps?

I have always wondered something.. but never read or heard anything about it..

When we look deep into space we see the past because of the time the light takes to reach us right?

Well how do we not know that there are many other 'earth like' planets/civilizations looking at earth through telescopes seeing only a star nursery?

Surely if we could see the stars as they are right this second we WOULD see life?

Seems kinda obvious to me..

Any insight would be appreciated.

reply to post by RobbWonder


thats the problem with space / light / time.

if we see an earth like planet 40 million light years away, we are seeing what it looked like 40 million years ago, so it may not even exist anymore.

ive always wondered, if you fly towards an unformed galaxy at the speed of light, it would be like watching a galaxy form right before your eyes, like your watching it on fast forward. no?

I get lost in the local shopping mall even with one of those 'YOU ARE HERE' signs.

Space needs a 'YOU WERE HERE' sign.

Cause it's big...REALLY big. I mean it's SO big....

According to the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy anyway.

Originally posted by esqONE
reply to post by RobbWonder

 

if we see an earth like planet 40 million light years away, we are seeing what it looked like 40 million years ago, so it may not even exist anymore.

ive always wondered, if you fly towards an unformed galaxy at the speed of light, it would be like watching a galaxy form right before your eyes, like your watching it on fast forward. no?

edit on 8-4-2011 by esqONE because: (no reason given)

Thats what i am getting at, we see what isnt there anymore, but we can't see what is there.. how do we not know there are other 'earths' out there seeing what we looked like 40 million years ago

And would be pretty sweet if you could see a galaxy form like that, would change our view point on the universe