Procyon is a binary star system 11.46 light-years away in Canis Minor. The primary star Procyon A is a white-yellow star, while Procyon B is a faint white dwarf companion.
Distance11.46 light-years
Star TypeBinary system (F5IV-V + DQZ)
ConstellationCanis Minor
Apparent Magnitude0.34
How Far Is Procyon from Earth?
Procyon is 11.46 light-years from Earth. That is about 108 trillion km (67.4 trillion miles), or 724,700 astronomical units.
Distance to Procyon in different units
Unit
Distance
Light-years
11.46
Kilometers
108,000,000,000,000 km
Miles
67,400,000,000,000 miles
Astronomical units (AU)
725,000 astronomical units
Parsecs
3.51
Light from Procyon takes 11.46 years to reach Earth, so the light you see tonight left Procyon 11.46 years ago.
Voyager 1, the fastest object humans have sent into deep space, travels at about 17 km/s. It would need about 202,100 years to cover this distance.
Time Dilation Formula Calculator
Journey Summary
Traveler's Time:
N/A years
Time experienced on the spacecraft
Observer's Time:
N/A years
Time passed on Earth
Maximum Velocity:
N/A c
Peak speed (as fraction of light speed)
Energy Required:
N/A J
Total energy needed for the journey
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 Procyon
At light speed, the journey would take 11.46 years
Procyon is the 8th brightest star visible from Earth
Procyon A will expand into a red giant in about 10-100 million years
Notable For: 8th brightest star in the night sky
Frequently Asked Questions
How long to travel to Procyon?
At light speed, it would take 11.46 years to reach Procyon. At 90% light speed, you would experience about 5 years of travel time.
Why is Procyon so bright?
Procyon is the 8th brightest star because it's relatively close (11.46 light-years) and about 7 times more luminous than the Sun. It's part of the Winter Triangle asterism.
How far away is Procyon?
Procyon is 11.46 light-years from Earth, which is about 108 trillion km or 67.4 trillion miles. Light from Procyon takes 11.46 years to reach us.
How many light-years is Procyon from Earth?
Procyon is 11.46 light-years from Earth. One light-year is about 9.46 trillion km, the distance light travels in one year. In parsecs, Procyon is about 3.51 parsecs away.
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)