Question

Alpha Centauri, the nearest star, is just over 4 light years away. Traveling at a speed of 2000 miles per hour (the speed of a fast jet airplane), how long would it take to get there in years?

Answer 1

1341525 years, nearly.

Explanation:

1 light year = 5.88 E+12 miles. So, at 2000 mph, the time to reach Alpha Centauri is 4 X 5.88E+12/2000 hours = 1.176E+10 hours = 1.176E+10/(24 X 365.256) years = 1341525 years. Even to reach close by Mars, at your speed, it might take 8 years.All these have only theoretical interest.

Answer 2

134, 260, 0 years!

Explanation:

Just think, what is mean by light year? It means that when light will travel for one year, the position where it will be is the distance of one light year.

Speed of Light `= 299, 792, 458 (meter) / (sec)`

There is `315, 360, 00` seconds in a year.

If light travel for 4 years, then:

`315, 360, 00 * 299, 792, 458 * 4 = 37.81 * 10^15 - meter`

Converting miles of jet to meters:

`3218 km * 5/18 m/s`

`893.9 m/s`

Now, dividing light years by the value of jet in meters,

`(37.81 * 10^15) / (893.9)`

`= 4.234 * 10^13 seconds`

This will be the time taken by the jet to reach the point in seconds

Converting it into years:

134, 260, 0 years!

This will be the time taken by a jet airplane to get to the star Alpha Centuri