How Long Would It Take To Travel To The Nearest Star?

universetoday.com ^ | 26 Jan , 2016 by | Matt Williams

[mountainlion]

Good idea for cows but what do you have for meteors?

[BenLurkin]

Heh!

[Purdue77]

It was a trick question. The nearest star is our sun. Shouldn’t take to long in universal time units and don’t have to travel at the speed of light. If we do go, I’d suggest going at night. ;)

[2harddrive]

“When the hell did we start making antimatter and anybody know what the @#$#@$ it is?’

We’ve been secretly working on the Antimatter Bomb. Don’t tell anyone!

[The Iceman Cometh]

When the hell did we start making antimatter and anybody know what the @#$#@$ it is?

Kinda like Hillary saying she would not use 'boots on the ground'.

Except for special forces and trainers...which is kind of the same thing.

[UCANSEE2]

Is Proxima Centauri the nearest star?

Yes.

Proxima Centauri: The Closest Star

[InterceptPoint]

It depends.

If you are sitting here on earth watching the ship leave and waiting for it to come back it will be a very, very long wait. You are unlikely to live long enough.

If you are one of the lucky ones on that star ship then you just might make it in some large fraction of a lifetime. Certainly in a lot less time that those left on Earth.

Yes, this seems insane. But it is what Einstein and boys are telling us.

[UCANSEE2]

Traveling at the speed of light is a physics no no.

Only for matter.

[dp0622]

the secrets safe with me especially since i wouldn’t know how the @#$@#$ it worked lol.

[Telepathic Intruder]

When the hell did we start making antimatter and anybody know what the @#$#@$ it is?

They've been making it for years in particle accelerators, just a few subatomic particles at a time. Not enough to power a flashlight bulb. Also created naturally in cosmic rays showers. It's the same as normal matter but opposite charge. Protons are negative and electrons are positive.

[Dilbert San Diego]

But on Star Trek there are numerous Class M planets. And many of them have attractive female humanoid inhabitants. And all of the aliens encountered speak English.

[IronJack]

1) It's "its," not "it's."
2) Why would anyone want to go to a star? A solar system, maybe, but there's nothing to say Proxima Centauri has any habitable planets anyway. And it's a long haul just for the scenery.
3) Speculating, and using the technology available today, I would guess we could accelerate a vessel to what, 100K mph? That's assuming a small vessel with a lot of fuel. We could also use gravitational "slingshots" as we fly by the planets to propel the craft even faster, let's say to double that: 200K mph.

Considering Proxima Centauri is more than 4 light years away, that's about 24 trillion miles. At our fantastic 200K mph velocity, (and assuming a straight-line distance), the journey would take about 13,700 years.

If we had left when the pyramids were being built, we'd be less than a third of the way there by now.

[DuncanWaring]

The “nearest” star is that big ball of fire you can see in the sky on a clear day.

[Daniel Ramsey]

Stargates

[Safetgiver]

I believe a star is a sun. Don’t think you could make it there.

[GingisK]

The nearest star is our sun. It is easier to get there than to Mars.

[Lurker]

Our sun is the nearest star.

L

[GingisK]

Is Proxima Centauri the nearest star?

Yes.

No, the nearest star is Sol.

[rawcatslyentist]

They'll go at night!

Brought to you by Carl's Junior.

[Farmer Dean]

Just hitch a ride with those gray guys from Zeta Reticuli.