# How long will it be until the nearby groups of galaxies are receding at speeds faster than light?

And subsequently how long will it be until we can never see them again?

• Can someone explain the close votes? I thought this question was quite clear in what it was asking. Mar 30 '17 at 12:50
• I suspect there are several issues. One is "faster than light", since two objects can't have a speed greater than light when measured in the same frame of reference. The second is that the answer to this question depends greatly on the nature of dark energy. There may be no settled answer to the questions. Thirdly, the timescales may be longer than the stelliferous period of the universe, so the galaxies will already be dark. I also remember a similar question before. Mar 30 '17 at 17:23
• @JamesK But there are currently galaxies which are receding faster than light right now. The galaxies which we see at the edge of the observable universe are currently receding at $3c$. And your other points don't deserve a close vote, merely the proper explanation of these points in the answer. Mar 30 '17 at 21:49
• fwiw I didn't vote to close. Mar 30 '17 at 22:00
• What do you mean by local? Gravitationally bound entities may be unaffected. Mar 31 '17 at 6:22