A stellar engine could move the entire solar system—traveling 50 light-years in a million years!
Key Takeaways:
- An astrophysicist has envisioned a stellar engine capable of moving the entire solar system.
- The concept, explored in a Kurzgesagt video, suggests using the Sun’s energy as propulsion.
- The Shkadov Thruster is a passive solar sail, but it would take 230 million years to move 100 light-years.
- The Caplan Thruster, a new active engine, could move the solar system 50 light-years in a million years.
- This concept, though purely theoretical, presents fascinating possibilities for future interstellar travel.
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A Cosmic Megastructure Concept
Interstellar exploration remains one of humanity’s greatest ambitions, but what if, instead of building spaceships, we could move the entire solar system? A video by Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell explores this concept, detailing how a “stellar engine” could propel the Sun and everything orbiting it across the galaxy.
The idea of a stellar engine isn’t entirely new. A theoretical design called the Shkadov Thruster, proposed by physicist Leonid Shkadov, suggests using a massive solar sail to harness the Sun’s radiation for propulsion. This passive system, however, would move the solar system at an extremely slow pace—about 100 light-years in 230 million years.
To speed things up, the video’s creators consulted astrophysicist Matthew Caplan from Illinois State University, who designed a more advanced stellar engine. His model, dubbed the Caplan Thruster, would use a thermonuclear fusion reactor powered by material extracted from the Sun itself. This active system would release jets of oxygen and hydrogen, creating balanced thrust and pushing the solar system forward.
The Caplan Thruster: A Faster Path to the Stars
Unlike the Shkadov Thruster, the Caplan Thruster could move the solar system 50 light-years in just a million years—a significant improvement. While still unfathomably slow by human standards, this concept suggests that one day, civilizations could control the movement of entire star systems.
Though entirely theoretical, these ideas push the boundaries of astrophysics and challenge our understanding of what’s possible. If future civilizations needed to escape a cosmic disaster—like a rogue star or a galactic collision—a stellar engine might be the key to survival.
