An astrophysicist shares a captivating story of observing the Pinwheel galaxy, sparking a discussion about light's seemingly tireless journey across vast cosmic distances. Light, being massless, travels at a constant speed, and while some energy is lost through scattering, unimpeded light maintains its speed. The article explains that time dilation affects how light's travel time is perceived; from the photon's perspective, the journey is instantaneous, while from Earth's, it takes millions of years. This perspective shift highlights the relativity of time and space.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.