Free Interstellar Travel Time Calculator

Estimate the travel time to a star at constant velocity: t = d / v, where d is the distance in light-years.

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light-years
km/s

Travel Time

21,184.33 years

Velocity as Fraction of c0.00020013 c

Travel Time vs Distance

View formula & how it works →

Interstellar Travel Time

At constant velocity, the travel time is simply distance divided by speed.

Formula

t = d / v

  • *d* in light-years (1 ly = 9.461 x 10^12 km)
  • *v* in km/s
  • Result converted to years (1 yr = 3.156 x 10^7 s)

    • Even at 60 km/s (about the speed of the fastest space probe), Proxima Centauri (4.24 ly) would take over 21 000 years.

    Example Calculation

    Proxima Centauri (4.24 ly) at 60 km/s.

    1. 01d = 4.24 * 9.461e12 = 4.011e13 km
    2. 02v = 60 km/s = 60 * 3.156e7 km/yr = 1.894e9 km/yr
    3. 03t = 4.011e13 / 1.894e9
    4. 04t = 21 180 years

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