How Long Does a Hohmann Transfer from Earth to Vesta Take?

[yz250fcaptain]

Homework Statement

Hello all in the physics forum!
During the DAWN mission NASA planned to visit Vesta (2.36 AU) and Ceres (2.77AU). Assuming both asteroids are in the eliptic plane, how much time in years would it take by hohmann transfer orbit to travel from Earth to vesta?
I don't expect anyone to solve this but i need some type or direction

Homework Equations

Was giving no further information that what is in the question

The Attempt at a Solution

Dont know where to begin

 

[gneill]

Homework Statement

Hello all in the physics forum!
During the DAWN mission NASA planned to visit Vesta (2.36 AU) and Ceres (2.77AU). Assuming both asteroids are in the eliptic plane, how much time in years would it take by hohmann transfer orbit to travel from Earth to vesta?
I don't expect anyone to solve this but i need some type or direction

Homework Equations

Was giving no further information that what is in the question

The Attempt at a Solution

Dont know where to begin

A Hohmann transfer orbit is an ellipse joining two other (usually circular) obits. In this case one orbit is that of the Earth and the other is that of Vesta. The major axis of the ellipse has ends on each orbit, and thus the travel time from one end of the ellipse to the other end is half the period of the whole elliptical orbit with that major axis.

Your job is to determine the length of the semimajor axis of the transfer ellipse, and then using appropriate formulas the period of the ellipse that it describes.