Regarding the Observation of the Lorentz Contraction on a Pulsed Radar System

Abstract

Terrell has recently shown that a visual or photographic image of a rapidly moving object subtending a small angle from the point of observation will not show relative distortion in its shape arising from the Lorentz contraction. In contrast to this situation, we show that the image of a moving object as presented on the map, plan-position display of a multiple-beam pulsed radar system will show the Lorentz contraction along the direction of its motion, in addition to the distortions caused by finite transit time of light signals.