When it is said that the universe is expanding at a rate faster than the SOL, what evidence is there to support this theory?
The metric space between galaxies that is measured.
When we say that an object is 30 million light years away from us, we are saying that they are 30 million light year MILES away from us because that is the time it takes the light from those objects to cover that distance. Since our observation is based on the information provided in the light we receive, and it took 30 million years for the light to cover that distance, then we are actually seeing what that object looked like AND where it was located 30 million years ago, right?
No. Light years is a measure of distance to objects in space. Heres an easy example. At .99% the speed of light it would take 7 Earth years to travel 1 light year. So if a Star was 7 light years away, and we traveled at .99% the SoL, then you would get there in 1 year. Kinda get it?
I bought up the whole concept of comoving distance because it seems to be used as a crutch to maintain that the speed of light is always constant in a vacuum.
The SoL is constant in a vacuum this has been reproduced.
the comoving factor is based on the concept that space itself is expanding,
Space is not expanding in the way you are saying it, the space in between galaxies is expanding.
This explains why we can see out 46 billion light year miles in any direction but the cosmos is only ~14 billion years old.
We do NOT see 46 billion light year 'miles'. 46 billion light years is the distance it took light to travel. Remember though light travels at the SoL so it did NOT take light 46 billion years to reach us. Since light travels at about 63,241AU(1AU is about 93 million miles), you can do the math and see just how fast light could cover those 46 billion light years.
I guess what I am getting at here, if not apparent thus far, is that what we see things doing out there in the cosmos is not the current state of affairs. The further out we look, the older the information is that we percieve. Scientists state that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate because the further out into space they look, the greater the red-shift of the light from those objects.
The closer you get to the horizon of the observable Universe the faster things will appear however, it only appears fast from our point of view. The space between galaxies is expanding at the same rate, its only viewed faster the further we look because spacetime is curved. Galaxies that are close to us are also expanding, or I should say, the space between us and them is also expanding, at the same rate as something 30 billion light years away. It just appears slow from our point of reference.
If the relative time of an object can be affected, will this have an effect on its gravitational effect.
The time is only effected from the POV of the observer. If I was in your hypothetical orbiting thingy traveling at the speed of light I would feel no effect, the time would only effect you. From my POV 'you' are the one who is traveling at the SoL. So again I would say that time dilation, as it is defined in physics, does not effect gravity.
Remember, to the light particle, it is not traveling at any speed. It is stationary and it is us that is going toward it.
All great truths begin as blasphemies
I smoke pot. If this bothers anyone, I suggest you look around at the world in which we live and shut your fuckin' mouth.