Perhaps this will ignite a few science fiction stories....
Stephen Clark
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> From: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 16:37:42 -0500 (EST)
> To: [log in to unmask]
> ---------------------
> Forwarded message:
> From: [log in to unmask] (Paul M. Rybski)
> Sender: [log in to unmask]
> Reply-to: [log in to unmask] (Paul M. Rybski)
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: 97-02-13 01:06:40 EST
>
> >>> According to Mark Littman in "Planets Beyond"
> >>>(highly recommended), no sooner will Voyager emerge from the Oort Cloud
> >>> than, 40167 years from now, it will encounter Ross 248, passing at a
> >>> distance of 1.7 light years. BTW, at that time, Ross 248 will pass the
> >>> outskirts of our solar system 3.25 light years from the Sun -- 25%
> >>> closer than our nearest stellar neighbors (Alpha Centauri) are to us now.
> >>> Yet even then it will be 4 times too faint for people on Earth to see
> >>> without a telescope.
> >
> >In the year 40176, Voyager 2 will make its closest approach to
> >Ross 248 at a distance of 1.65 light years. At the time, Voyager 2 will be
> >1.99 light years from our Sun, so it will be actually closer to Ross 248.
> >
> >>I'm not certain, but isn't Barnards star suppose to come very close to our
> >>sun as well? I think I recall reading somewhere a few years back mentioning
> >>that Barnards star will pass 2.5 to 3.5 light years from our sun in about
> >>10,000 years? I'm not really sure about the time period, but for some
> reason
> >>10,000 years sticks in my head? Could stars this close influence comets in
> >>the Oort cloud to move towards the sun?
> >
> >That is correct. In the year 8571, Barnard's Star will be 3.8 light years
> from
> >us. Voyager 2 will be farther away at 4.03. Here's a little chart on the
> >stars Voyager 2 will pass by in the "near" future:
> >
> >All distances are in light years and star motion is taken into account.
> >
> > Year of Voyager 2 to Sun to Voyager 2 Sun to
> Star
> >Star Closest Approach Star Distance Distance Distance
> >-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> >Barnard's Star 8,571 4.03 0.42 3.80
> >Proxima Centauri 20,319 3.21 1.00 3.59
> >Alpha Centauri 20,629 3.47 1.02 3.89
> >Lalande 21185 23,274 4.65 1.15 4.74
> >Ross 248 40,176 1.65 1.99 3.26
> >DM-36 13940 44,492 5.57 2.20 7.39
> >AC+79 3888 46,330 2.77 2.29 3.76
> >
> >Ron Baalke
>
>
>
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