Exoplanet Alpha Centauri Bb Is Only 4 Light Years Away

There have been calls for an interstellar probe although that would of course be an incredible effort.  Here is a bit more on that notion from wikipedia:

The announcement of the planet’s existence sparked renewed interest in Alpha Centauri as a potential target for an interstellar probe, including enthusiasm from mainstream astronomers.  A representative from NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts suggested several theoretical technologies that could make the voyage to Alpha Centauri in a few hundred years, including antimatter rockets and explosive nuclear propulsion.

Planetary scientist Greg Laughlin admitted that such approaches were “speculative and farfetched so far”, and noted that with current technology a probe sent to Alpha Centauri would take 40,000 years to arrive, but expressed hope for new technology to be developed to make the trip within a human lifetime.

Well that is a bit too long 😉  Perhaps even listening or sending S.E.T.I. signal would make sense first?



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