According to the special theory of relativity, an observer moving faster than the object they observe will experience a phenomenon known as "relativistic aberration." This effect causes the object to appear distorted or elongated, regardless of whether it is moving towards or away from the observer. The specific nature of this distortion depends on the relative velocities involved.
When the object is moving towards the observer at relativistic speeds, the front part of the object appears compressed or contracted, while the rear part appears elongated. This distortion is a result of the combined effects of time dilation and length contraction.
Conversely, when the object is moving away from the observer at relativistic speeds, the front part of the object appears elongated, while the rear part appears compressed. Again, this distortion arises due to the relativistic effects on time and length.
It's important to note that these distortions occur from the perspective of the observer in motion relative to the object. From the viewpoint of the object itself, its length remains unchanged, and it experiences no distortion.
Relativistic aberration is a consequence of the finite speed of light and the relativity of simultaneity, which causes spatial and temporal perceptions to differ for observers in relative motion. These effects are accounted for in the Lorentz transformations of special relativity, which describe how measurements of space and time differ between different inertial reference frames.