Guest Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 A light year is 5.9x10^12 miles and Alpha Centuri is 2.5x10^14 miles away. If your friend stood on the surface of Alpha Centuri and waved, how long would it be until you could see it from the earth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 isnt it 250/5.9 years A light year is 5.9x10^12 miles and Alpha Centuri is 2.5x10^14 miles away. If your friend stood on the surface of Alpha Centuri and waved, how long would it be until you could see it from the earth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 isnt it 250/5.9 years no..there isn't any calculation requierd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 you will never see, unless you are immortal.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 A light year is 5.9x10^12 miles and Alpha Centuri is 2.5x10^14 miles away. If your friend stood on the surface of Alpha Centuri and waved, how long would it be until you could see it from the earth? You can always see Alpha Centuri unless it's been more than 4.37 years since it burnt out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 You can always see Alpha Centuri unless it's been more than 4.37 years since it burnt out... good catch Anza Power.. I didn't guess that...but 'it' means your friends waving hand not the Alpha Centuri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 ^ Then umm, I don't think you'll ever see him because from there he'll be like the size of an atom... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 there could be many answers , here's is what i think...it will take from now until hell freezes over. No telescope yet invented has that kind of magnification. Besides, Alpha Centuri is a star and your friend couldn't get within miles of it without being vaporized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 Yes it's impossible for a person to stand on a star. In fact, if it wasn't for the ozone layer, the Sun would fry us even though it is millions of miles away, so I guess that's what the puzzle is about. But if you consider that it is possible, since the puzzle says it happened, then donhimanshupandey is right, assuming you have a really good telescope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Molly Mae Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 A light year is 5.9x10^12 miles and Alpha Centuri is 2.5x10^14 miles away. If your friend stood on the surface of Alpha Centuri and waved, how long would it be until you could see it from the earth? As you use the word 'if,' you imply a hypothetical situation. Much like if a rooster laid an egg on the top of the roof. It's not about the realm of possibility, as the hypothetical assumes that the situation is possible and happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Funny you should use the rooster laying an egg example since the answer to that riddle is that roosters don't lay eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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A light year is 5.9x10^12 miles and Alpha Centuri is 2.5x10^14 miles away. If your friend stood on the surface of Alpha Centuri and waved, how long would it be until you could see it from the earth?
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