With current Public technology If Earth sent a message to Andromeda today, it would take about 2,499,912 years in the future to get there /Calculate and factor in relative motion - Co-pilot
My Question: how long does it take light to reach the andromeda galaxy from earth and vice versa
Co Pilot: ๐ Light from Earth takes approximately 2.5 million years to reach the Andromeda Galaxy — and the same amount of time for light from Andromeda to reach us.
That’s because Andromeda is about 2.5 million light-years away, meaning the light we see from it today left that galaxy around the time early humans were first emerging on Earth. Every photon from Andromeda is a cosmic time capsule.
If you're thinking symbolically — say, in terms of visual storytelling — this delay could represent ancestral memory, cosmic patience, or the long arc of connection across space and time. Want to explore how that could be woven into a visual prompt or narrative?
๐ The Andromeda Galaxy is indeed moving toward us — and fast. Here's how that affects light travel time and our cosmic rendezvous:
๐ Relative Motion: Andromeda’s Approach
Speed toward Earth: ~110 km/s (about 68 miles per second)
Distance: ~2.5 million light-years
Time to collision: ~4 billion years (not due to light speed, but gravitational dynamics)
๐งฎ Adjusted Light Travel Time
Let’s factor in the motion:
At 110 km/s, Andromeda moves ~3.5 light-years closer every 100,000 years.
Over 2.5 million years (the time light takes to travel from Andromeda to Earth), it would move ~87.5 light-years closer.
So the effective light travel time is slightly less than 2.5 million years — about 2,499,912 years.
This difference is minuscule compared to the total distance. The galaxy’s motion barely shortens the light’s journey — but it’s a powerful symbol of cosmic inevitability.
Text Credit - Co-Pilot
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