Reaching Alpha Centauri in 100 Years: Calculating Speed & Magnitude

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

To reach Alpha Centauri in 100 years, a spacecraft must travel at approximately 46,000 km/hr. This speed is nearly 0.092 times the speed of light, significantly faster than current spacecraft, which operate at around 50,000 km/hr. The distance to Alpha Centauri is 4.36 light years, equating to about 41 trillion kilometers. The calculation involves dividing the distance by the time in hours, utilizing the speed of light at 299,792,458 m/s to convert to km/hr.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of light year as a unit of distance
  • Basic knowledge of speed calculations (distance/time)
  • Familiarity with the speed of light (299,792,458 m/s)
  • Ability to perform unit conversions between kilometers and light years
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of traveling at relativistic speeds
  • Learn about current spacecraft technologies and their limitations
  • Explore theoretical propulsion methods for interstellar travel
  • Investigate the effects of time dilation on long-duration space missions
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, astrophysicists, and enthusiasts interested in interstellar travel and the physics of speed and distance in space exploration.

lifeunderwate
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Suppose you wanted to reach Alpha Centauri in
100 years.
a. How fast would you have to go, in km/hr3
b. How many times faster is the speed you found in (a) than
the speeds ofour fastest current spacecraft (around
50,000 km/hr)?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
lifeunderwate said:
Suppose you wanted to reach Alpha Centauri in
100 years.
a. How fast would you have to go, in km/hr3
A.Centauri is how far away in light years?
How many km are in a light year?
Multiply and you'll get the distance to A.Centauri in km.

100 years is how many hours?

Speed (in km/hr) to A.Centauri = distance (in km) / time (in hours)


Speed is distance divided by time.

lifeunderwate said:
b. How many times faster is the speed you found in (a) than
the speeds ofour fastest current spacecraft (around
50,000 km/hr)?
Even easier.

You have a speed above, and this comparson speed. Pretty straightforward to divide one by the other.

Why do you need us?
 
Last edited:
Even easier. Take the distance to Alpha Centauri - 4.36 light years - and divide by 100 years. That's the fraction of lightspeed you want. Then multiply by the speed of light per hour. Since light moves at 299792458 m/s, by definition, I'll let you work out km/h...
 

Similar threads

How fast must a spaceship travel to reach Alpha Centauri in 10 years?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Writing: Input Wanted Some problem solving -- probe is traveling to Alpha centauri
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
3K
How Fast Did My Friend Travel to Alpha Centauri and Back?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
High School Pale Red Dot Mission: Launching Probes to Alpha Centauri in 2030s
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
3K
Did I Calculate the Speed of a Comet Correctly?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Graduate What speed is required for a 30-year journey to Alpha Centauri?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Undergrad How Will Nano Spacecraft Reach Alpha Centauri?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Undergrad Non-inertial reference frames question
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
3K
Finding the relativistic speed of a spacecraft
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Relative Simultaneity: Comparing 2 Incompatible Calculation Methods
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K