What is the Limitation of Interstellar Communication for Humans?

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SUMMARY

The HD 10180 star system, located 127 light-years away in the constellation Hydrus, contains at least five Neptune-sized planets and potentially two additional planets, including an Earth-sized and a Saturn-sized planet. The system's detection of multiple planets surpasses the previous record held by the 55 Cancri system. Due to the vast distances involved, two-way communication between star systems is severely limited, requiring over 250 years for a message to travel one way, making real-time interaction impractical beyond a 40 light-year radius.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of astronomical concepts such as light-years and planetary mass.
  • Familiarity with the characteristics of exoplanets and their detection methods.
  • Knowledge of the limitations of communication technologies across astronomical distances.
  • Basic comprehension of the structure of solar-type stars and their planetary systems.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the methods used for exoplanet detection, such as the transit method and radial velocity technique.
  • Explore the implications of communication delays in interstellar messaging systems.
  • Investigate the characteristics and potential habitability of planets within 40 light-years of Earth.
  • Learn about the HD 10180 system in detail, including its planetary composition and dynamics.
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Astronomers, astrophysicists, science fiction writers, and anyone interested in the challenges of interstellar communication and the study of exoplanets.

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240px-HD10180_eso1035a.jpg

HD 10180 star system

Wikipedia said:
HD 10180 is a solar-type star that scientists believe has at least five planets, and possibly as many as seven. It is 127 light-years away, in the southern constellation of Hydrus. The mass and metallicity of HD 10180 are 6% and 20% greater than the values of the Sun.

The system contains five Neptune-sized planets (with minimum masses from 12 to 25 times Earth's; spurious detection probabilities ≪ 0.1%) at orbital radii of 0.06, 0.13, 0.27, 0.49 and 1.42 AU. In addition, there is a possible Earth-sized planet located at 0.02 AU (minimum mass 1.4 times Earth's; spurious detection probability 1.4%), and a possible Saturn-sized planet at 3.4 AU (minimum mass 65 times Earth's; spurious detection probability 0.6%). This represents the largest number of planets detected in an extrasolar planetary system (the previous record holder, the 55 Cancri system, has five).
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Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_10180"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/55_Cancri"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r96nO0qoLUU&feature=player_embedded"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Astronomy news on Phys.org
127 light years away! That's approx thirty-one times farther than our nearest star.
Two-way communication would take more than two-hundred fifty years. Anyone sending a message would be dead by the time a reply arrived.
 

Active two-way personal human to human (or alien) communication between any two different star systems would be limited to about 40 light years radius and only one message per human lifetime.
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