How Long Would It Take to Travel to GJ 1002?

GJ 1002 is a red dwarf star 15.8 light-years away in the constellation Cetus. It hosts two Earth-mass planets discovered in 2022, both located in the habitable zone.

Distance 15.78 light-years
Star Type Red dwarf (M5.5V)
Constellation Cetus
Apparent Magnitude 13.76

How Far Is GJ 1002 from Earth?

GJ 1002 is 15.78 light-years from Earth. That is about 149 trillion km (92.8 trillion miles), or 997,900 astronomical units.

Distance to GJ 1002 in different units
Unit Distance
Light-years15.78
Kilometers149,000,000,000,000 km
Miles92,800,000,000,000 miles
Astronomical units (AU)998,000 astronomical units
Parsecs4.84

Light from GJ 1002 takes 15.78 years to reach Earth, so the light you see tonight left GJ 1002 15.78 years ago.

Voyager 1, the fastest object humans have sent into deep space, travels at about 17 km/s. It would need about 278,300 years to cover this distance.

Time Dilation Formula Calculator

Spacecraft accelerates continuously throughout the journey. Realistic for ion drives or theoretical propulsion.

Distance to GJ 1002
Speed vs Time
This chart shows how quickly you accelerate to a fraction of the speed of light over time.
Distance vs Time
Shows distance covered (in light-years) over time.
Traveler's vs Observer's Time
Shows how time experienced by the traveler differs from time on Earth.
Energy Requirement vs Distance
Shows the (simplified) energy requirements for maintaining relativistic travel as distance increases.
Doppler Shift vs Time
Shows how the Doppler effect changes observed wavelengths over time.
Velocity vs Distance
Shows how your speed changes as you travel further from your starting point.
Lorentz Factor vs Time
Shows how the Lorentz factor (γ) grows over time as relativistic effects increase.
Proper vs Observer Distance
Shows how distance measurements differ between the traveler's frame and the observer's frame.

Facts About GJ 1002

Notable For: Hosts two Earth-mass planets in habitable zone

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to travel to GJ 1002?

At light speed, it would take 15.8 years to reach GJ 1002. At 1g constant acceleration with deceleration, a traveler would experience about 9 years.

Why are GJ 1002's planets special?

Both GJ 1002 planets are Earth-mass and in the habitable zone. The star is also relatively quiet, reducing harmful radiation that could strip away planetary atmospheres.

How far away is GJ 1002?

GJ 1002 is 15.78 light-years from Earth, which is about 149 trillion km or 92.8 trillion miles. Light from GJ 1002 takes 15.78 years to reach us.

How many light-years is GJ 1002 from Earth?

GJ 1002 is 15.78 light-years from Earth. One light-year is about 9.46 trillion km, the distance light travels in one year. In parsecs, GJ 1002 is about 4.84 parsecs away.

Explore Similar Destinations

Luyten 726-8 8.73 light-years Tau Ceti 11.91 light-years Gliese 876 15.24 light-years Altair 16.73 light-years

How to Use This Calculator

This time dilation calculator lets you enter a distance in light-years and acceleration in m/s² to see how time dilation affects your journey. It shows differences between traveler and observer times, maximum velocity, energy requirements, Doppler shift, Lorentz factor, and how distances vary between reference frames. Charts appear after you calculate.

Results

  • Traveler's Time: How much time the person on the spaceship experiences
  • Observer's Time: How much time passes on Earth during the journey
  • Maximum Velocity: The highest speed reached, as a fraction of light speed

Interactive Charts

  • Speed vs Time: How quickly you accelerate towards light speed
  • Distance vs Time: How far you've traveled over time
  • Traveler's vs Observer's Time: Compare time passage between Earth and spaceship
  • Energy Requirement vs Distance: How much energy is needed as you travel further
  • Doppler Shift vs Time: How light wavelengths change during your journey
  • Velocity vs Distance: Your speed at different distances
  • Lorentz Factor vs Time: How much time dilation increases with speed
  • Proper vs Observer Distance: How distance measurements differ between frames

What is Time Dilation?

Time dilation is an effect from Einstein's theory of special relativity. The faster you move, the slower time passes for you compared to someone standing still. At 90% of light speed, time passes about 2.3 times slower for the traveler than for someone on Earth.

What is the Time Dilation Formula?

The Time Dilation Formula is:

t' = t / √(1 - v²/c²)

Where:
t' = time measured by the observer (on Earth)
t = time experienced by the traveler
v = velocity of the traveler
c = speed of light (299,792,458 meters per second)