Well, the light (well, x-rays, I think in this case) has been transiting space f...

ComputerGuru · on July 23, 2011

In particular, this means that 12 billion years ago, there WAS a reservoir of water of such and such size.... :-)

mechanical_fish · on July 23, 2011

Well, yes and no. See Cushman's comment, above, on the relativity of simultaneity.

In relativistic situations it really doesn't matter which verb tense you use. Verb tenses are not designed for this sort of thing.

distort · on July 23, 2011

Which also means that what we see now is the light that finally reached us and that "image" is old by a billion years.