Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - 'Second Earth' found, 20 light years away

if.away · 10-17-2007, 01:29 AM

It is fundamental, but perhaps you should explain to him what a light year is. He'll get something useful out of this thread.

Basically a light year is the DISTANCE light travels in a year, it's not a period of time as some people would believe. The speed of light is considered to be 3.0x10^8 m/s. Take that, and multiply it by the number of seconds in a year. I don't have a calculator, but the number is pretty large and it it is in meters. Divide that by 1000 to get KMs. In one year, light travels that many KMs. The distance between us and this new planet is that result x 20. This makes traveling to such place absolutely impossible...

10-17-2007, 01:29 AM	#12
if.away Backup Goalie Join Date: Jan 2006 Exp:	It is fundamental, but perhaps you should explain to him what a light year is. He'll get something useful out of this thread. Basically a light year is the DISTANCE light travels in a year, it's not a period of time as some people would believe. The speed of light is considered to be 3.0x10^8 m/s. Take that, and multiply it by the number of seconds in a year. I don't have a calculator, but the number is pretty large and it it is in meters. Divide that by 1000 to get KMs. In one year, light travels that many KMs. The distance between us and this new planet is that result x 20. This makes traveling to such place absolutely impossible...