Post by Radrook Admin on May 31, 2022 2:59:18 GMT -5
How near is our Nearest Star System?
When we speak of nearness in relation to stars, the word really loses its meaning due to the mind boggling distances involved. For example, Proxima Centaury, the star nearest to out sun, is approx. 4.2 light years distance.
However, even at the current speeds that our Voyagers are travelling, Voyager 1 moving at a speed of 38,210 miles per hour (17 km/s) and Voyager 2, traveling at a speed of 35,000 miles per hour, it would still take 75,000 earth years to arrive there.
Now, in order to illustrate the mind-boggling distance involved, lets consider traveling at the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second and the fastest that the laws of nature allow things to go..
Please note that at such a velocity, we would circle the Earth seven-and-a-half times in one second. Now, keep in mind that there are sixty seconds in every minute, and sixty minutes in every hour, twenty-four hours in every day, and three-hundred sixty-five days in each year. So the distance that light must traverse just to arrive our nearest star, is truly staggering.
However, even at the current speeds that our Voyagers are travelling, Voyager 1 moving at a speed of 38,210 miles per hour (17 km/s) and Voyager 2, traveling at a speed of 35,000 miles per hour, it would still take 75,000 earth years to arrive there.
Now, in order to illustrate the mind-boggling distance involved, lets consider traveling at the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second and the fastest that the laws of nature allow things to go..
Please note that at such a velocity, we would circle the Earth seven-and-a-half times in one second. Now, keep in mind that there are sixty seconds in every minute, and sixty minutes in every hour, twenty-four hours in every day, and three-hundred sixty-five days in each year. So the distance that light must traverse just to arrive our nearest star, is truly staggering.
In order to illustrate further, let's use the number of times that light can circle the earth at that speed in just one second, and imagine ourselves travelling that distance at that rate for four years towards Proxima.
7 1/2 times around the Earth in one second.
27,000 times around the Earth in one minute
1,620,000 times around the Earth in one hour
38,880,000 times around the Earth in one day.
14,191,200.000 around the Earth in one year
56,764,800,000 That's fifty-six billion, seven-hundred and sixty-four million, eight -hundred-thousand times around the Earth in four years.
27,000 times around the Earth in one minute
1,620,000 times around the Earth in one hour
38,880,000 times around the Earth in one day.
14,191,200.000 around the Earth in one year
56,764,800,000 That's fifty-six billion, seven-hundred and sixty-four million, eight -hundred-thousand times around the Earth in four years.
Now, using the same numbers, let's see how much distance light needs to travel to arrive at Alpha Centauri.
At 186,000 miles per second in one second, the distance covered in miles is the following.
Per Minute:
11,160,000 miles per minute. That's eleven million, one-hundred and sixty-thousand miles in one minute.
Per Hour
669,600,000 per hour. That's six- hundred and sixty- nine million, six-hundred- thousand miles in one hour.
Per Day
16,070,400,000 per day. That's sixteen billion, seventy-million, four-hundred- thousand miles in a day.
Per Year:
5,865,696,000,000 per year. That's five trillion, eight-hundred sixty-five billion, six- hundred-million miles a year.
In four Years:
23,462,784,000,000 in four years. That's twenty-three trillion, four- hundred sixty-two billion, 784 million miles in four years.
11,160,000 miles per minute. That's eleven million, one-hundred and sixty-thousand miles in one minute.
Per Hour
669,600,000 per hour. That's six- hundred and sixty- nine million, six-hundred- thousand miles in one hour.
Per Day
16,070,400,000 per day. That's sixteen billion, seventy-million, four-hundred- thousand miles in a day.
Per Year:
5,865,696,000,000 per year. That's five trillion, eight-hundred sixty-five billion, six- hundred-million miles a year.
In four Years:
23,462,784,000,000 in four years. That's twenty-three trillion, four- hundred sixty-two billion, 784 million miles in four years.