2007-06-23 07:44:24 · 8 answers · asked by fatandsmooth 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Please note: I meant thousands and millions of light years away. Even if could some day travel at the spead of light ( which is an impossibility as long as you have mass ) you could not possibly reach there.
2007-06-23 08:54:35 · update #1
You exaggerate and considerably so. Every exoplanet found to date (and for a long time to come I suspect) has been in the Milky Way (which is 100,000 light years across) and the furtherst away, so far, is 21,500 light years away. The majority are under 1,000 light years away and that is because they are the easiest to find.
Epsilon Eridani b, the nearest known planet is ten light years away (the 9th nearest star system to us), the three planets of Gliese 876 (b c and d) are fifteen light years away, The three planets of Gliese 851 are twenty.
That is respectively 60, 90 and 120 trillion miles away. Yes, we currently lack the propulsion method to get to any of these within a human lifetime, but Man had looked at the Moon for several thousands of years and eventually was able to adapt ICBM rockets to the purpose.
At the time it seemed extraordinary to be able to go a quarter of a million miles in three days, when circumnavigation of the globe, a tenth of that distance, had taken many months.
It involved one giant (mental) leap for mankind. Now there are other, larger leaps to make.
Perhaps what is needed is a visionary President making a commitment to send a man to a nearby star with planets and return him safely before the century is out. But that might not be the 21st Century but the 24th or 25th! Possibly "before the Millennium is out" may be more realistic ...
Naturally they would need assurances from NASA that that is technically feasible before making any such pronouncements! And I suspect they will want to see a successful manned return journey to Mars Europa or Titan that finds life before they start to pump gigadollars into the space budget.
People want results before they bankroll new projects and they haven't had a major one for 38 years now ...
2007-06-23 08:47:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
It's called mapping out the Universe. What we see and cannot reach today, doesn't mean that future explorers won't be able to. So, planets that are found are cataloged, not just for study, but that it just MIGHT be a place that could actually be traveled to at some point in the future. :)
2007-06-23 08:45:57 · answer #2 · answered by Abstract 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
At this time there's no practical purpose. In my humble opinion this kind of research, along with SETI (..Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence..), is an attempt to answer the old question of whether or not we're alone in the universe.
Does any of it do any real good? It's hard to answer yes, but at the same time maybe it at least keeps alive the intellectual curiosity of our species. As I see it, if we lose that urge to know what's on the other side of the hill we'd be doomed to stagnation.
2007-06-23 08:09:19 · answer #3 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because it is interesting, and scientists want to find out about the formation of space and galaxies.. and its just amazing how far away they are..... wow..
2007-06-27 06:52:28 · answer #4 · answered by mike h 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They refuse to except the Truth that the Bible is as right, with what is says God created the Heavens . and the Earth. God and us period.
2015-08-20 00:03:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
To see if there is life on other planets.
2007-06-27 06:32:30 · answer #6 · answered by Nimali F 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Until we know what's out there, we can not know what or where we actually are!
2007-06-26 17:19:24 · answer #7 · answered by Guy E 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have you noticed they are all democrats and love spending your money on worthless projects.
2007-06-23 07:53:29 · answer #8 · answered by windybrr 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋