Exoplanet Travel Planner

Planning a Trip to an Exoplanet

Interstellar travel times depend on distance in light-years and cruise speed as a fraction of the speed of light. At high speeds, relativistic time dilation means less time passes for travelers than for observers on Earth.

Travel Time Formulas

Ship time for constant velocity:

$$t_{\text{ship}} = \frac{d}{v}$$

Earth elapsed time includes the Lorentz factor:

$$t_{\text{Earth}} = \frac{t_{\text{ship}}}{\sqrt{1 - v^2/c^2}}$$

Frequently Asked Questions

How is travel time calculated?

Ship time equals distance divided by speed. At fractions of light speed, Earth observers see a longer elapsed time due to relativistic time dilation.

Which destinations are included?

Presets include Proxima Centauri b, LHS 475 b, K2-18 b, Kepler-186f, and the Milky Way center. You can also enter a custom distance in light-years.

Why is Earth time longer than ship time?

Special relativity predicts that clocks moving near light speed tick slower relative to a stationary observer. The Lorentz factor quantifies this difference.

How are food and water estimates derived?

Supply needs use rough daily consumption rates multiplied by ship travel time in days. Actual requirements depend on crew size and recycling systems.

Is interstellar travel currently possible?

Not with existing technology at practical speeds. This planner is a thought experiment to illustrate the scale of interstellar distances and relativistic effects.

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Planning a Trip to an Exoplanet

Travel Time Formulas

Frequently Asked Questions

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