Does Distant Starlight Prove the Universe Is Old? by Dr Jason Lisle
Critics of creation sometimes use distant starlight as an argument against a young universe. But when we examine this argument carefully, we will see that it does not work.

• The Assumptions of Light Travel-time Arguments
• The Assumption of Rigidity of Time
• Assumptions of Synchronization
• The Assumption of Naturalism
• Light Travel-Time: A Self-Refuting Argument

• Special Relatvity - 1905 Easy time dilation due to velocity, length change, and Lorentz stuff because you're moving at some speed Einstein showed us that people experience time at different rates depending on the physical situation that person happens to be in. It came about because of a bizarre quirk in the speed of light.
• General Relativity - 1915 More difficult. Time dilation due to gravity similar results but due to gravitational effects.

cf General Relativity: Top 05 Mishaps [inc INTERSTELLAR]

cf Gravitational Time Dilation - wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Viking_1

Shapiro time delay - wikipedia
Gravity Probe A - wikipedia

Tests of general relativity - wikipedia

How did we measure the fastest speed there is? | The History of the Speed of Light Part I

Why can't anything go faster than the speed of light? | The History of the Speed of Light Part II

http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Maxwell %27s_equations - is the speed of light (i.e. phase velocity) in a medium with permeability mu0, and permittivity epsilon0. In a vacuum, vp = c0 = 299,792,458 meters per second, a fundamental physical constant.


Electromagnetic wave equation - is the speed of light (i.e. phase velocity) in a medium with permeability mu0, and permittivity epsilon0. In a vacuum, vph = c0 = 299,792,458 meters per second, a fundamental physical constant



Permeability of free space, measured in a vacuum
mu0 = 1.25663706212(19)x10-6 H/m

Permittivity of free space
epsilon0 = 8.854,187,8176x10-12

so

ie the speed of light

http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/ Vacuum_permeability
http://en.wikipedia.org / wiki/Permittivity

It seems mu and epsilon, in a vacuum, needn't thus far be correct in free interstellar and intergalactic space. Being measured SI units, it hasn't been possible to measure them outside of our solar system or Milky Way galaxy. Nevertheless, we can improve on those measurements by partially going beyond the immediate extent of the solar system. [The furthest lightspeed measurement is stated to be that of James Bradley in 1728, "Gamma Draconis is at a distance of 154.3 lightyears (47.3 parsecs) from the Sun,[1] as determined by parallax measurements from the Hipparcos astrometry satellite" ie well within the stated 100,000 light year diameter of the Milky Way. That rough or broad lightspeed measurement is well outside our solar system, but going incrementally further from Earth will give us enough evidence to show that lightspeed outside the Milky Way must be considerably faster (because time itself ie the second is faster)].

Something of that is also mentioned in this video which comments on GPS measurements http://youtu.be /Z4oy6mnkyW4
Someone stated that Einstein's equations 1916 were built on the shoulders of Maxwell's equations 1873. But in Maxwell's and Einstein's times we weren't able to measure or theorize about anything outside our galaxy. ( http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/ Speed_of_ light#Measurement )
Why is the speed of light what it is? Maxwell equations visualized.

( An aside - For the curious intellectual, here is a proposed revised concept of the ether, in relation to GPS satellites http://arxiv.org/ ftp/physics/papers/0502/ 0502007.pdf 5.8 Summary of etherdragging hypothesis )

The Truth Why We Can't Travel Faster Than Light thoughty2 3/9/20
He discusses time dilation, as accounted for by GPS, but only the form dealing with motion, not the form of time dilation resulting from a gravitational field or the warping of space-time by proximity to a mass according to Relativity theory. They both say that the speed of light is a constant, but that like with the mentioned wormhole - in agreement with Relativity - time itself speeds up the more distant from any mass, similar to what is thought to happen outside of the solar system and with intergalatic travel for massless photons.

It's reported that there is a 5 microsecond difference per year between the atomic clocks at Greenwich and at Boulder Colorado, apparently due to a change in gravity http://creationwiki.org / Gravitational time dilation
It's therefore likely that outside of our solar system there is a significant difference in the seeming rigidity of time, and between galaxies that seeming rigidity of time is likely to be considerably different, in interstellar and intergalactic space.
Since atomic clocks run faster, to some uncertain extent, outside of a gravitational field, it's possible that the speed of light, at 300,000 kilometres per second, also has it's per second time altered. So a second runs faster in interstellar and intergalactic space than it does on Earth. This is hypothesized to explain why we see starlight, from vast distances away, within human time frames. And may indicate that distance measurements in light years is an imprecise description of vast distances. Measurements of upto 1000 parsecs will be interesting as they're determined by trigonometry. But such measurements are limited to within the Milky Way galaxy, so aren't applicable to intergalactic light-years. If these musings are substantiated then the Cosmos needn't be as old as the imprecise measure of light-years could suggest.
By reasoning about intergalactic and interstellar light speed, and how that makes distance / time measurements in light years questionable, we remove theorized eons upon which theorized evolution of the universe depends. As time dilation, reducing outside of large masses or gravity wells, becomes the emerging norm it will leave no room for evolution time frames, and therefore "finite controlled" ascension speculation will struggle to stay afloat too. Infinite controlled ascension speculation is authenticated by unique Bible heptadic structure, and repeatedly raising the dead on demand.
Similarly, the uniformity of the cosmic microwave background CMB could be accounted for by higher speed(faster seconds) radiation of microwaves. Without that higher speed the uniformity of CMB has the horizon problem, not currently adequately explained. http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/ Horizon_problem
Also outlined here
Gravity's effect on the flow of time in General Relativity Physics Videos by Eugene Khutoryansky
How Gravity Affects Time | Gravity and Me | Spark Jan 2019

Variable speed of light theories http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/ Variable_speed_of_light
I may never fully understand theoretical physics/astrophysics and don't know what the answer is to http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/ Variable_speed_of_light - about gravitational constant G and the Finestructure constant. Why can't you go faster than light? Fermilab 2017
http://youtu.be/ A2JCoIGyGxc

Quantum Gravity: How quantum mechanics ruins Einstein's general relativity Arvin Ash Oct 2020
http://youtu.be/ S3Wtat5QNUA

When theory conflicts with observation then observation prevails. We have solid observation for time dilation, viewed the further we are from any mass, so "varying in space or time" is a fact, though it isn't clear to what extent this occurs outside of our solar system or galaxy. GPS satellite adjustment for time dilation is quite interesting, and highly suggestive of significant time difference outside the solar system.

How does time dilation figure in to initially lower mass water/planets, when time was faster than when in close proximity to ?sooner or later? planets having greater mass ? I was raised in a subculture that was inclined towards 7 day creation, but we don't know what speed atomic processes were running at before substantial time dilation could occur, so what constituted a "day", **before light and darkness/night or creatures or the Sun existed**.

The Hebrew clearly holds to a seven day week and sabbath (Exodus 20:11), so we have work to do to reconcile that with the reduced time dilation, before light and darkness/night or creatures or the Sun existed. When light was separated from darkness (or night) was that when 24 hour days began ? Before that, there was, biblically, only "the deep", which would have been water/planet/s, "hovering over the face of the waters."

I've done all I know how to thus far, and defer to phDs for building on other questions raised. My ADD prevents me remembering enough theory to master others physics questions, i'm out of my depth on theoretical physics.

It seems mu0 and epsilon0, in a vacuum, needn't thus far be correct in free interstellar and intergalactic space. Being measured SI units, it hasn't been possible to measure them outside of our solar system or Milky Way galaxy. We can improve on those measurements by partially going beyond the immediate extent of the solar system. Something of that is also mentioned in this video which comments on time dilation for GPS measurements
http://youtu.be/ Z4oy6mnkyW4
Some clarification is here
http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/ Gravitational time dilation and
http://britannica.com /science/time-dilation
and Time Dilation - Einstein's Theory Of Relativity Explained!
http://youtu.be /yuD34tEpRFw

Someone stated that Einstein's equations 1916 were built on the shoulders of Maxwell's equations 1873. But in Maxwell's and Einstein's times we weren't able to measure or theorize about permeability0 or permittivity0 outside our Milky Way galaxy or perhaps our solar system. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Speed_of_ light#Measurement ) Why is the speed of light what it is? Maxwell equations visualized.

It's clear that the speed of light has only been measured within our Milky Way galaxy, so we can't be scientifically certain what it's speed is in the weak gravitational field of intergalactic space (and there may be some variation within interstellar space too). The furthest measurement is stated to be that of James Bradley in 1728, "Gamma Draconis is at a distance of 154.3 lightyears (47.3 parsecs) from the Sun,[1] as determined by parallax measurements from the Hipparcos astrometry satellite", ie well within the stated 100,000 light year diameter of the Milky Way.

http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Gamma_Draconis

http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/James_Bradley

Measurements of upto 1000 parsecs will be valid as they're determined by trigonometry. But such measurements are limited to within the Milky Way galaxy, so aren't applicable to intergalactic light-years/speed. Again similarly, "We can be confident from physical parallax measurements using simple trigonometry, by the Hubble Space Telescope, that at least a "size"/distance up to a maximum of about 1000 parsecs or 3,260 light years (for parallax measurements) can be used for Stellar Aberration measurements for stars in our galaxy, ie still within the Milky Way."

Also General Relativity predicts that time dilation occurs ("varying in space or time") the closer to any mass. GPS satellite adjustment for time dilation is quite interesting, and highly suggestive of significant time dilation, viewed from outside the solar system.
see http://youtu.be /Z4oy6mnkyW4
General Relativity: Top 05 Mishaps [inc INTERSTELLAR].
We know that GPS satellites are adjusted for time dilation, http://astronomy-ohio-state.edu /pogge.1/Ast162 /Unit5/gps.html, so any testing for that can improve on those adjustments the further we go from Earth orbit. Eventually a more ideal time dilation test will be done in interstellar space, but in the meantime we can improve on currently known results as we go incrementally further from Earth, out into the solar system away from the Sun and planets beyond the heliopause.
"... the satellites are in orbits high above the Earth, where the curvature of spacetime due to the Earth's mass is less than it is at the Earth's surface. A prediction of General Relativity is that clocks closer to a massive object will seem to tick more slowly than those located further away (see the Black Holes lecture). As such, when viewed from the surface of the Earth, the clocks on the satellites appear to be ticking faster than identical clocks on the ground. A calculation using General Relativity predicts that the clocks in each GPS satellite should get ahead of ground-based clocks by 45 microseconds per day. ...
The engineers who designed the GPS system included these relativistic effects when they designed and deployed the system. For example, to counteract the General Relativistic effect once in orbit, the onboard clocks were designed to "tick" at a slower frequency than ground reference clocks, so that once they were in their proper orbit stations their clocks would appear to tick at about the correct rate as compared to the reference atomic clocks at the GPS ground stations."


ie the speed of light
Again, when theory conflicts with observation then observation prevails.

http://physics.info /general-relativity/Time dilation is

Given above that time dilation t' includes c^2, which can be calculated from mu0 and epsilon0, we know that time dilation also depends on permeability and permittivity of free space. Time (dilated) will vary with respect to c, the further it is viewed from any mass. where...
t = duration of an event in the gravitational field of some object (a planet, a sun, a black hole)
t' = duration of the same event when viewed from infinitely far away (a hypothetical location where the gravitational field is zero)
m = mass of the gravitating object
r = distance from the gravitating object to where the event is occurring (their separation)
c = speed of light in a vacuum (a universal, and apparently unchanging constant)
G = universal gravitational constant (another universal, and apparently unchanging constant)

In Einstein's theory of relativity, space and time became a thing - a thing that could do stuff like expand, contract, shear, and warp (or bend or curve).

Speed of light#Measurement
Why can't you go faster than light? Fermilab 2017
http://youtu.be/A2JCoIGyGxc
We know for certain that time slows down in proximity to any mass, and in ( Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity it says that [15mins 7secs] in black holes spacetime curvature becomes infinite and time stops altogether), and conversely time is faster away from all mass. It's not clear to me if the permeability and permittivity of free space might possibly be different outside of any gravitational field, and similarly we can't be sure if gravitational constant G and the Finestructure constant vary. Someone said that Relativity theory includes the possibility of wormholes, where travelling through space is much quicker. (Will Wormholes Allow Fast Interstellar Travel? PBS Space Time July 2020 youtube) If that's a real scientific possibility according to Relativity theory then time itself could also speed up the further away from any mass.

As an aside, if a constant speed of light/time is found not to apply, the further we go from any mass, then Relativity may need reviewing ? If that can be validated then the idea or philosophy that everything is relative - and nothing is absolute (including that statement) - may need reviewing too ? It's tricky, but as a heuristic/rule of thumb we know that God endowed purpose or function are reasonable guides for our "norms"; otherwise the rule of law becomes humanly arbitrary, and the survival of the strongest where the ends justify the means is all that exists - without a meaningful notion of conscience.

Atomic Clocks Are Reinventing Time Bloomberg Quicktake 20/2/21
http://youtu.be/hzLTgtFaPLY

How Atomic Clocks Work
Dom Burgess 2017
http://youtu.be /l8CI3bs9rvY

As an aside, we may need to explore any effect, of change in the atomic processes and speed of light well outside any gravity well/s, (and the Standard Model of physics), on the redshift of galaxies.

Frequency (f) and wavelength (lambda) are joined by the equation , where c is the speed of light. As the speed of light is ?constant?, if you increase the frequency, the wavelength must decrease to maintain this equation and vice versa. This means that the relationship between frequency and wavelength is inversely proportional.
( www.omnicalculator.com /physics/wavelength )
Changes in c (ie speed of atomic processes used to measure c), due to changes in proximity to gravity wells, may impact the standard model and starlight in some previously unanticipated way.
In other words, it's ?potentially? possible that starlight's reduced frequency towards the red end of the spectrum (redshift) ?may? be associated with faster atomic/shorter time processes, and is ?less to do? with the speed at which galaxies are receding from us - or may be a compound effect ? It needs more investigation.

We're reminded that the hypothetical Big Bang claims that everything originated from and are constituted of quantum energy. (A Brief History Of Time. Stephen Hawking. p 136) "In quantum theory, particles can be created out of energy in the form of particle / antiparticle pairs", ie matter and antimatter - per the standard model of quarks leptons and bosons.
Beyond the Higgs: What's Next for the LHC? [23 mins]
The Large Hadron Collider reduces all matter to quanta. And photons/light have recently been shown to have quantum entanglement, at least over a distance of 143kms. The University of Vienna's experiment, published in PNAS, separated the particles even farther. Using a massive detector between the Canary Islands of La Palma and Tenerife, it separated the particles by 143 kilometres.
Quantum Entanglement: Spooky Action at a Distance

Inter-dimensional and material beings would rely on those dimensions or mechanisms of our Cosmos to rapidly move around - which mechanism would have existed before any creatures did, for the universe's/Cosmos's own existence & creation. (Again, if you explain angels as having their origins through supernatural laws, "without having any regard for physics, reality, etc.", no longer is "naturalism" the only laws at work in the universe. A precedent is set which can apply for the origins of humanity and the universe.) And, if any faster-than-light phenomena exists that would become the benchmark for measuring the age of the universe/Cosmos, rather than the current light speed, (again, because belief in the frontiers of quantum physics, inter-dimensional near death experiences, our body/soul/spirit, the question of why don't identical twins have identical personalities, and angels set a precedent for belief that the multi-dimensional Cosmos was also created beyond our natural frontier of quantum materialism's laws.) Including for any "communications" alleged to be over light years distance, where question and reply round-trip happen in real time, not 4+ years at a time - demons disguised as aliens.
Physicists explore Einsteins spooky quantum entanglement.
Research on quantum entanglement as it relates to gravity.

It is thought, "old" aliens could not exist in a universe dated by the existence of it's own rapid travel mechanism.
Panspermia must be out too. Any events seem likely to be low-life (abduction) fallen angels, reported to be masquerading as "old" grays.

Ancient material multiverse/s are similarly ruled out by inter-dimensional travel speed too.

Have you considered The Case For A Creator Ch 6 - youtube for the many scientifically determined factors required for life to exist on a rare, maybe uniquely, habitable planet ? (or perhaps the book may be of interest)
Also, from a Biblical reference point, the angels & Christ? that met with Abraham on the way to Sodom had a meal with Abraham, they were part of that time+space (Genesis 18:2-8). Genesis 19:10 "But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door." They were part of that time+space to physically handle Lot - yet had come from heaven.



God And Stephen Hawking - Whose Design Is It Anyway ? by Dr John Lennox. Heavy weights in philosophy get down to the facts in cosmological views. A real eye opener, in lay person's language.

Dr John Lennox's Superb Books
Dr John Lennox's Website

Pascal's Wager - There Is A God & After-Life    Click To Read This
Without biblically true Holy Spirit inspired spiritual 'discernment' and accompanying faith, one can not know for 'certain' that God, an afterlife, heaven or hell exist; we aim for being 'beyond reasonable doubt' (Christian Apologetics N Geisler pp 128, 293, 314, 315) (Tit 2:13 looking for the blessed hope). Evidences seen here and at other philosophical / apologetics websites give us confidence (have you considered Compelling Info.)

God gives enough proof to satisfy any reasonable person who is willing to submit to the truth, but not enough to convince the proud skeptic who is bent on unbelief. Renowned Harvard law professor Simon Greenleaf observed:
"Christianity does not profess to convince the perverse and head-strong, to bring irresistible evidence to the daring and profane, to vanquish the proud scorner, and afford evidences from which the careless and perverse cannot possibly escape. This might go to destroy man's responsibility. All that Christianity professes, is to propose such evidences as may satisfy the meek, the tractable, the candid, the serious inquirer" (The Testimony of the Evangelists Examined by the Rules of Evidence). (An Unshakeable Faith p 17)