Earth-Like Planet orbits Sun-Like Star

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the discovery of the planet Kepler-452b, its distance from Earth, and the implications of such distances in the context of space travel, particularly in comparison to the recent fly-by of Pluto by the New Horizons spacecraft.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that Kepler-452b is approximately 1300 light years away, raising questions about the feasibility of space travel to such distant planets.
  • Another participant calculates that if a spacecraft were to travel to Kepler-452b at the same speed as New Horizons, it would take roughly 19 million years to arrive, acknowledging that this is a very rough estimate.
  • A third participant expresses agreement with the rough estimate, emphasizing the immense distances involved in space travel.
  • A fourth post references a previous thread related to the topic, suggesting ongoing discussions about Kepler-452b.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the immense distance to Kepler-452b and the rough estimate of travel time, but there are no settled conclusions regarding the specifics of space travel to such distant planets.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about travel speed based on the New Horizons mission and does not resolve the complexities involved in interstellar travel, such as propulsion technology or the effects of time dilation.

Who May Find This Useful

Astronomy enthusiasts, space exploration advocates, and those interested in the challenges of interstellar travel may find this discussion relevant.

Quotidian
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That, anyway, is the headline in today's news, regarding the interesting discovery announced by NASA overnight of the planet dubbed Kepler-452b.

As I understand it, the properties of the planet are inferred from spectral analysis of its effects on the light from the star which it orbits.

However my question is more - well - quotidian. Last week's astronomical news was the fly-by of Pluto (an amazing achievement, I hasten to add) by a craft that had taken nearly ten years to reach its destination. The signals were then taking about 4.5 hours to reach earth; in other words, the craft was 4.5 light-hours away.

If such a craft were to travel at the same rate to Kepler-452b, how long would it take to arrive?
 
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The discovered planet is approximately 1300 light years away.
Pluto is 4.5 light hours away, and New Horizons took 7.5 years to get to it.
There are of course many variables which can be argued about, but very roughly that works at about 19 million years I think.
 
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Right! That is the kind of ball-park figure that I thought it might be. It just helps to get an idea of the immense distances involved.
 

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