THE SCIENCE
Proponents of the most ambitious project in the history of mankind hope that in the near future we will be able to send small rockets to a distance of more than 39.9 trillion kilometers and obtain from them images of worlds on which life is possible.
Scientists, including Stephen Hawking and his supporters, as well as Internet investor Yuri Milner and the founder of the social network Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, are going to launch hundreds or even thousands of “nano-rockets” into space to study remote areas of the Universe that people have not yet seen.
This project can open several secrets of our Universe and allow people to photograph the worlds on which life was born or could be born.
Stephen Hawking's idea
According to Stephen Hawking, at the moment we need to solve the problem associated with the huge vacuum that separates us from other stars. But, using light rays, photon (light) sails, and the lightest flying machine in the world, this problem can be solved.
The project, called Stars hot, involves delivering small robots to the Alpha Centauri star system. It would take 30,000years to get to it in the usual way, but using the new technologies from the Stars hot project, this figure could be reducedto 20.
Scientists believe that the stellar system of Alpha Centauri may contain planets similar to Earth. A spaceship can take pictures of these planets, which in turn can help find life.
New spacecraft
According to Yuri Milner, the spacecraft will be the size of a pea. This device will fly through outer space "pushed by a light beam.” The design of the device allows it to travel at a speed of 25% of the speed of light.
A small spacecraft will consist of computers that are attached to a small thin plate. Reducing the details of a computer will allow you to fit everything you need into one small device: cameras, engines, power supplies and communications, as well as navigation equipment.
Flying to the Stars
Before all the necessary details of the ship will be built, there are several important steps that need to be done before sending the device into space. First, you will need to create a base for the spacecraft, which will be able to bring it into open space and launch it.
As prices for computer components fall and production rises, a team of scientists hopes that the launch of such an apparatus will cost only a few hundred thousand dollars.
Interesting facts about Alpha Centauri
1. Alpha Centauri is not a star.
According to NASA, Alpha Centauri is a stellar system of three stars . Proxima Centauri (or Alpha Centauri C) is a red dwarf, the dimmest of the three stars and the closest star to Earth.
Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B are two fairly bright stars, and although they make up a double star, the distance between them is quite large.
.Alpha Centauri A and B are about 23 times farther apart (slightly larger than the distance between our Sun and Uranus).
2. From Earth to Alpha Centauri incredibly long distance.
From our planet to Proxima Centauri, approximately 39.9 billion kilometers (or 4.22 light years).
Simply put, if we had spaceships that could travel at the speed of light, it would take us 4.22 years to reach the red dwarf and Alpha Centauri.
And to Alpha Centauri A and B it would take even more - about 4.35 years .
3. There is one planet in the star system of Alpha Centauri.
The planet, called Alpha Centauri Bb, was found in this star system in 2012 . In its mass and size, the planet can be compared with the Earth, and it revolves around the star Alpha Centauri B.
Scientists believe that the surface of the found planet is covered with molten lava , since it is quite close to the star (only 6 million km from it).
Since there is at least one planet in the star system, there is a chance that somewhere in the Alpha Centauri system there may be another planet that is in the “habitat zone” , i.e. it may have liquid water and clouds in the atmosphere.
4. The stars from Alpha Centauri are very bright and very old.
In our night sky, Alpha Centauri A takes 4th place in brightness. It also belongs to the category of yellow stars, like our Sun, but in size it is 25% larger.
But Alpha Centauri B is slightly smaller than our Sun and is included in the category of orange stars. As for Proximate Centauri, this red dwarf is 7 times smaller than the Sun.
All three stars in the system are about 4.85 billion years old, which is slightly larger than our Sun, which is 4.6 billion years old.
5. The best view of Alpha Centauri from the southern the hemisphere of the Earth.
In the Northern Hemisphere, this star system is almost invisible. More precisely, it is not visible to everyone who lives above 29 degrees north latitude.
But those who live in the Southern Hemisphere can see the glow of the star system with the naked eye at night.
In the summer, residents of Florida and Texas, as well as those who live in some areas of Mexico, have the opportunity to observe the glow of this star system directly above the horizon.
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