Calculate how long it would take to travel to a distant exoplanet at different speeds.
Mission Specs
Travel Timeline
Enter distance and velocity
About this calculator
Quick Reference
vSpacecraft velocity
dDistance (light years)
γ (Lorentz)1 / √(1 - v²/c²)
cSpeed of light
Overview
Interstellar travel is one of the greatest challenges for humanity. This calculator finds the time required for a journey to nearby stars, including the effect of time dilation at high speeds.
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Pro Tips
Distances between stars are measured in Light Years (approx 9.46 trillion km).
At speeds close to the speed of light, time slows down for the travelers (Time Dilation).
Current chemical rockets would take tens of thousands of years to reach the nearest star.
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Fun Facts
"Voyager 1, the furthest man-made object, is traveling at about 0.006% of the speed of light."
"At 99% of light speed, a journey of 4.2 light years would feel like only 7 months for the crew."
"The 'Twin Paradox' is a thought experiment in relativity involving a traveler and their stay-at-home twin."
