How Long Would It Take to Travel to TRAPPIST-1?

TRAPPIST-1 is an ultra-cool red dwarf star 40.7 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. It hosts a remarkable system of seven Earth-sized planets, three of which orbit in the habitable zone.

Distance 40.66 light-years
Star Type Ultra-cool red dwarf (M8V)
Constellation Aquarius
Apparent Magnitude 18.8

How Far Is TRAPPIST-1 from Earth?

TRAPPIST-1 is 40.66 light-years from Earth. That is about 385 trillion km (239 trillion miles), or 2.57 million astronomical units.

Distance to TRAPPIST-1 in different units
Unit Distance
Light-years40.66
Kilometers385,000,000,000,000 km
Miles239,000,000,000,000 miles
Astronomical units (AU)2,570,000 astronomical units
Parsecs12.5

Light from TRAPPIST-1 takes 40.66 years to reach Earth, so the light you see tonight left TRAPPIST-1 40.66 years ago.

Voyager 1, the fastest object humans have sent into deep space, travels at about 17 km/s. It would need about 717,000 years to cover this distance.

Time Dilation Formula Calculator

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

Distance to TRAPPIST-1
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 TRAPPIST-1

Notable For: Hosts 7 Earth-sized planets, 3 in habitable zone

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to travel to TRAPPIST-1?

At light speed, it would take 40.7 years to reach TRAPPIST-1. At 1g constant acceleration with deceleration, a traveler would experience about 16.7 years.

Are TRAPPIST-1 planets habitable?

Three of the seven TRAPPIST-1 planets orbit in the habitable zone where liquid water could exist. However, the star is a red dwarf that may subject the planets to harmful radiation.

How far away is TRAPPIST-1?

TRAPPIST-1 is 40.66 light-years from Earth, which is about 385 trillion km or 239 trillion miles. Light from TRAPPIST-1 takes 40.66 years to reach us.

How many light-years is TRAPPIST-1 from Earth?

TRAPPIST-1 is 40.66 light-years from Earth. One light-year is about 9.46 trillion km, the distance light travels in one year. In parsecs, TRAPPIST-1 is about 12.5 parsecs away.

Explore Similar Destinations

Gliese 876 15.24 light-years 55 Cancri 41 light-years Capella 42.9 light-years Arcturus 36.7 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)