Question

In: Physics

Can a person, in principle, travel from Earth to the galactic center (which is about 2.30

Can a person, in principle, travel from Earth to the galactic center (which is about 2.30

Solutions

Expert Solution

Of course there is no reason why a person could not travel there. However, one thing you must keep in mind is that it is not just as simple as traveling 2.30x10^104 light-years, because the center of the universe (if we could locate it) would be moving relative to us. So by the time you traveled the distance, it is no longer there and you would have to travel even further. So we cannot answer this without first knowing how fast it is moving (or rather how fast we are moving away from it).

BUT, assuming now that you want some kind of numerical answers, we can simply discuss how long it would take a person to complete a 2.30x10^104 light-year journey (which will NOT take you to the center of the universe due to the argument above).
Yes it is theoretically possible for a traveler to make a trip of ANY distance within their lifetime. However, to someone who stays behind on Earth that trip could be as much as a thousand lifetimes.
The reasoning behind this is that to the traveler the faster he/she goes the shorter the distance becomes, they don't need to travel AT the speed of light they just need to get close because as the speed gets closer to that of light, the distance in the direction of travel becomes infinitesimally small due to length contraction. But by the same theory, the people who stay on earth experience a MUCH longer time than the traveler because of time dilation.

I could not calculate the answer to your 32y question. This is because the speed required is somewhere around 0.999999999999999...% the speed of light, which my calculator simply gives me that the speed is exactly 'c', so this gives a value for 'gamma' of zero, which leaves the distance as undefined.


Related Solutions

Can a person, in principle, travel from Earth to the galactic center (which is about 2.30
Can a person, in principle, travel from Earth to the galactic center (which is about 2.30
Is it possible, in principle, for you to travel to the center of the galaxy, which...
Is it possible, in principle, for you to travel to the center of the galaxy, which is 23,000ly away in your lifetime? Explain, using both time dilation and length contraction arguments. If your spaceship can go a maximum of v = 0.990c, will you make the one way trip in your lifetime? Let’s assume you have 80 years.
The distance from earth to the center of the galaxy is about 22500 ly (1 ly...
The distance from earth to the center of the galaxy is about 22500 ly (1 ly = 1 light-year = 9.47 ? 1015 m), as measured by an earth-based observer. A spaceship is to make this journey at a speed of 0.9950c. According to a clock on board the spaceship, how long will it take to make the trip? Express your answer in years (1 yr = 3.16 ? 107 s). Please be as detailed as possible in your response,...
calculate the distance d from the center of the earth at which a particle experiences equal...
calculate the distance d from the center of the earth at which a particle experiences equal attractions from the earth and from the moon. The particle is restricted to the line through the centers of the earth and the moon. Justify the two solutions physically.
A company sends a satellite up to 4.0 Earth radii from the center of the Earth...
A company sends a satellite up to 4.0 Earth radii from the center of the Earth and then launches it at a speed of 7423 m/s. Their hope is that it will go into a circular orbit at that distance. a) Can a satellite be in circular orbit at that distance and speed without using any kind of propulsion? b) How fast should the satellite go in order to orbit at this distance? [...] they tell the satellite to fire...
Q) Which of the following are claims: 1. The earth is the center of the known...
Q) Which of the following are claims: 1. The earth is the center of the known universe. 2. Monkeys and squirrels are the same. 3. Thank you for your consideration 4. The state of Pennsylvania has the world's largest volcano. 5. If you don't do what you're supposed to, you know what will happen. A. 1 and 2 B. 1 and 4 C. 2 and 3 D. 1, 2, 3, and 4 E. 1,2,4, and 5 .
What is the round-trip travel time of light from Earth to Neptune (at a distance of...
What is the round-trip travel time of light from Earth to Neptune (at a distance of 30 AU)? How far would a spacecraft orbiting the planet at a speed of 0.5 km/s travel during that time? How far would a spacecraft orbiting the planet at a speed of 0.5 km/skm/s travel during that time?
True or false: (a) A person in a space ship traveling away from earth and a...
True or false: (a) A person in a space ship traveling away from earth and a person on the ground (earth) will measure different speeds of light in a vacuum. (b) Maxwell corrected a flaw in Amp`ere’s Law and got a collection of 4 laws named after him. (c) Liquids can be insulating or conducting. (d) Just like there is electric charge, there is magnetic charge. (e) If an object is closer to a convex lens than its focal length,...
Estimate all radiation risks for astronauts after travel from the Earth to the Mars and back....
Estimate all radiation risks for astronauts after travel from the Earth to the Mars and back. Duration of the travel is 1.5 years. Total absorbed dose will be around 6Gy. Discuss validity of your estimation for all risks (strong and weak sides of the estimation)
Estimate all radiation risks for astronauts after travel from the Earth to the Mars and back....
Estimate all radiation risks for astronauts after travel from the Earth to the Mars and back. Duration of the travel is 1.5 years. Total absorbed dose will be around 6Gy. Discuss validity of your estimation for all risks (strong and weak sides of the estimation).
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT