one-way light time
- noun
- Specialized
:
tiempo de luz unidireccional
- Scientists calculate the one-way light time to determine when signals from distant spacecraft will reach Earth.
Examples
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The one-way light time to Mars is about 13 minutes.
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Understanding one-way light time is essential for deep-space mission planning.
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Data from Mars is delayed by the one-way light time of several minutes.
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How long is the one-way light time to the nearest star?
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Data from Mars is delayed by the one-way light time of several minutes.
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Scientists calculate the one-way light time to understand communication delays with distant spacecraft.
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The one-way light time to the nearest star determines how long we wait for signals to arrive.
Synonyms
The time a light or radio signal takes to travel between Earth and a distant place in space
How Far
- Specialized
109
4.9
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
8.1
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is transparently compositional: 'one-way' (=in a single direction) + 'light' + 'time' naturally yields 'the time it takes light to travel in one direction.' Although it's a technical scientific term, a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reasonably infer this sense without prior exposure. This construction follows normal compounding logic found across languages, so it is predictable.
Etymology
One-way light time comes from the simple image of sending a flash of light and waiting for it to arrive at a distant object. It literally names the one-way travel time of light, so it tells how long a signal takes 'in one direction only'.