Hi!
I'm studying physics for quite some time, and some time ago a thought popped up in my head....:
In classical distance measurement (Einstein, 1905) a lightsignal is emitted, and the time delay "T" is measured, it takes to reflect at a distance "X".
Einstein said the observer has orientation with the starfield surrounding him. I'd like to ignore this assumption. So let's say it's dark and cloudy within a cosmic nebular. And an observer flying there wants to measure the distance to the (dark) spaceship next to him.
He send a lightsignal, and gets it back, after T. All fine.
But what if he recieves it from a different angle, than he emitted the lightsignal?
Is a rotation of the observer the only cause that leads to an open angle between emission and absorption? Remember, that in a moving frame, a double mirror reflecting light between the mirrors, also an angle (>0) appears... So can the observer be certain, that a simple Rotation of the observer took place?
(I'm talking about pointlike (quantum acting) lightsignals. nothing continouus... so the observer can't just differnetiate the signals...)
any suggestions? I know that's actually not a yes/no question, but did you ever hear of such thoughts? Are there papers on that subject ("relativity without starfield"), to learn more in that subject?