Why can't we hope to converse at a normal rate with extraterrestrials on a planet orbiting a distant star?

Answer 1

Any form of electromagnetic wave we would use to communicate (light, radio waves, gamma ray pulses) have a speed limit: the speed of light. This is approximately 186,000 miles per second.

Now, while that's really fast, it is not instantaneous. It just seems that way to us because we use light and radio over fairly short distances.

Let's define a 'distant star' as one that is 10 light-years away. Actually, that would be a star that is 'pretty close' by astronomical standards. A light-year is defined as the distance that light can travel in one year, at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. That turns out to be 5,865,696,000,000 miles.

Also, let's say you sent a signal to a planet on that star today.
Your message, travelling at the speed of light, will take 10 years to reach the planet. Assuming that they respond instantly, their message will take another 10 years to get back to us.

So, after you send your message you will need to wait 20 years for the reply. It's difficult to hold a normal conversation when you have to wait years for the other person (or extraterrestrial) to respond.

Answer 2

A "normal rate" implies something along the lines of vocal conversation between two face to face people, or maybe e-mail.

No communication can be transmitted faster than the speed of light.

For a truly nearby star, let's say 10 light years away, if we send a message today, it would arrive there 10 years from now, and after our interstellar brothers determined a reply, it would take 10 years to reach us.

That's why such programs as Project OZMA are predicated upon the idea that once acknowledgment of any signal is made, we will transmit a huge quantity of information----trying to carry on our end of a 20 year dialog all at once.

Answer 3

The first thing to consider is how many years would it take for the message to be recieved by them,.. and how many more until the reply gets here. Communication like that takes a long long time,.. some places would take millions of years to reach.... just by signal.

The second is to consider if they can understand our communication is a communication and then you have to wonder if they have the ablity to respond.

It is believed the two eyes, two ears, mouth, nose,.. their positionings on Animals on this planet may only be the senses and positioning for this planet (hard to explain),.. anotherwards another planets inhabitents would have things in completely different locations and not to recieve and emit the same senses and responces animals on this planet do.

As it stands,.. most life not on this planet are mirco, fungle,.. or something else you can't talk to that might be considered a type of plant to some people.

Answer 4

It takes a long time for a message from earth to reach other stars. The closest star is about 4 light years away, so if we were to communicate with aliens near this star it would take 8 years for us to send a message and recieve a response. This is all due to the fact that no message can go faster than the speed of light.

Answer 5

Say a planet is passing (in a undeniable velocity) a celebrity from a distance ( in the form of that celebrity's gravitational container). The planet will could desire to outcomes on this is circulation at that 2d. in accordance to the Newton's 1st regulation of action - the planet is could desire to holiday in this is very own velocity for eternity if there is not any exterior tension affecting. yet now the celebrity's gravity is pulling it in the direction of in. this is ordinary to anticipate that the planet's course has to get replaced in result to the celebrity's gravitational charm. The celebrity retains pulling the planet in and the planet retains going out in this is very own way. The pulling (celebrity's gravitational tension) and shifting away (planets very own course - concerns the planets mass) comes into one among these stability that the planet starts shifting around the celebrity (orbiting). you be attentive to, the planet will consistently attempt to pass away because of the fact it 'had-has' this is very own path needless to say which the celebrity's gravity curved and the celebrity will consistently shop it pulling in, and for this reason, the steadiness of orbiting occurs (planet's).

Answer 6

It's called signal-to-noise ratio. The maximum bit rate that can be achieved depends on the power of the transmitter, the size of the receiving antenna, the wavelength of the radiation, and most importantly, the noise. Crank the numbers for interstellar distances, and you see that it's hopeless. And that's ignoring the fact that it would take about nine years to hear "I'm fine, how are you?" in response to "Good morning, how are you today?" The speed of light is a serious limitation -- in fact, it's a limitation if you want to use satellite communication for VoIP telephony here on earth.

Answer 7

it all boils down to the speed of light. Light moves at 380000000 meters per second which is quite fast but with the nearest star over 4 light-years away we have a minimum of 8-9 years corresponace time. This cannot be avoided.

Answer 8

What they said above, and also there are so many phenomena in space like E-M discharges, ion storms, black holes, solar winds, that would totally destroy a signal. It's like trying to get reception on a cellphone 4 miles underground. Pretty hopeless through all the interference.

Answer 9

Because it takes so long for the signal to travel ...