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Proxima Centauri is a star that is about 4.25 light years away from us. If your parents were astronauts and you were obviously born here on Earth could they be living around that star right now? Explain why or why not

User Hariharan
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Final answer:

No, humans from Earth are not living around Proxima Centauri. The star is roughly 4.25 light years away, making the journey with current technology unfeasible. Also, living close to such a star presents significant challenges that we are not yet able to overcome.

Step-by-step explanation:

Proxima Centauri, which is about 4.25 light years from Earth, cannot currently have human inhabitants from Earth living around it. This is due to the immense distance involved when traveling through space. One light year is the distance that light travels in one year, which is about 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers). Considering that as of our current technology, we have not achieved space travel at the speed of light, a trip to Proxima Centauri would take many years, even if traveling at the fastest speeds we are capable of with modern spacecraft.

Add to this the fact that, as of the current understanding of physics and available technology, living in the vicinity of a star like Proxima Centauri presents many challenges, including the star's radiation environment and the need for sustainable life support systems. Therefore, it is not feasible at this point in time for your parents or anyone else to be living around Proxima Centauri.

User Hardik Vasani
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