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superluminal velocity

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 480 words | Copyright

superluminal velocity A velocity that apparently exceeds that of light. In some double radio sources or quasars, the components seem to be moving away from each other many times faster than the speed of light. The theory of special relativity does not allow objects to accelerate to speeds faster than that of light, but the observed superluminal velocities are thought to be illusory, caused by the two components moving in a direction very close to the observer's line of sight.

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