About Light-Year & Interstellar Distance Converter
Calculate interstellar distances in light-years and determine flight times across historical and theoretical spacecraft propulsion systems. Evaluates mission timelines at Voyager 1, New Horizons, Parker Solar Probe, ion thrusters, nuclear fusion drives, laser sails (Starshot), and relativistic velocities up to 0.99c.
Key Capabilities & Features
- Bidirectional conversion between light-years, kilometers, miles, AU, and parsecs
- Mission flight time projections across 10 real and theoretical spacecraft propulsion engines
- Support for custom mission velocities in km/s or percentage of speed of light (% c)
- Preloaded destination distances to Proxima Centauri, Sirius, Vega, and Betelgeuse
How to Use Light-Year & Interstellar Distance Converter
Enter Light-Years
Type the distance in light-years or pick a known destination star preset.
Review Equivalent Distances
See the distance in kilometers, miles, astronomical units, and parsecs.
Examine Spacecraft Transit Times
Analyze how many years or millennia current and future propulsion drives would take to arrive.
Privacy & In-Browser Execution Guarantee
Calculations evaluate locally in your browser with zero server data exchange.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long would Voyager 1 take to travel one light-year?
Traveling at approximately 17 km/s (38,000 mph), Voyager 1 would require approximately 17,650 Earth years to traverse a single light-year.