Approximately how long, using today's technology, would it take a spacecraft travelling at 58,536 km/hr to reach our nearest neighbor, Alpha Centauri? The Alpha Centauri system is 4.3 light years from earth.
Using current technology, it would be impossible for humans to make the journey.
However, a space craft like New Horizon traveling @ 58,536 km/hr which took 9.5 years to reach Pluto would take approximately 78,000 years to reach the Alpha Centauri System.
The Alpha Centauri system is 4.3 light years distant from us, and the system contains an earth sized planet.
The math:
A light year is 9.46 trillion km: 4.3 light years is approximately 41 trillion km. A spacecraft travelling at 58,536 km/hr would take approximately 78,000 years to reach the Alpha Centauri system.
More Info:
earthsky.org
What are your thoughts on this subject?
45 Comments
Gery Tillmanns
I should be retired by then.
stormejohn
Going to have to get those warp drives to work in order to get anywhere out side of our own little speck of dust.
Joyce Kendall
I really hate it when I use a clue and still get it wrong!
Corey Taylor
Where's the Enterprise when you need it?
Helga U. Williams
I guess I am not quite Mensa, because I guessed wrong.
🤣
Florence McKenna Hiscock
Well, I used majority clue and got it wrong. At least I'm in good company!
dmarkc
I say get the worms started on those holes, now. Also, 78,000 yrs worth of tang and bologna sandwiches. We can do this, people.
Lawanta
The math is mind-blowing!!! 😵💫🤯😵💫🤯
David Farr
We're gonna need a faster space ship. Warp 5 would get us there in a little over 10 months.
Karin Johansson
Peter Robertson, not so long it seems!
Player
Not as long as I thought.
Treffer 1
Joyce Kendall, Absolutely ! I agree.
Treffer 1
ruthfunk, Majority vote not always correct answer,have learnt the hard way !
Chris Brown
Oh,... I should have known that
!
alan
Nice to see the math explained. Forgot how long a light year was
teresab
Maybe Harry and Meghan will be out of the celebrity news by then.
ninakamwene
Even though I guessed 50K years, Thank you for educating us. I like to learn and I can not lie.
Caroline Wolter Hall
Were still in the dark ages and wint go anywhere using rockets to move payload. That is not where the answer is.