from 20,000 years ago until 80,000 years in the future The
space velocity components of this star in the
galactic coordinate system are = [, , ] km/s. The trajectory of Ross 248 will bring it closer to the Solar System. In 1993, Matthews projected that in about 33,000 years it would enter a period of about 9,000 years as the closest star to the Sun, as close as in 36,000 years. A more precise estimate in 2022 has it approaching to within in 36,500 years. Any future spacecraft that escaped the Solar System with a velocity of 25.4 km/s would reach this star 37,000 years from now, when the star just passes its nearest approach. By comparison, the
Voyager 1 has an escape velocity of 16.6 km/s.
Voyager 2 is not headed toward any particular star, although in roughly 42,000 years, it will pass the star Ross 248 at a distance of 1.7 light-years. The closest stellar neighbors to Ross 248 are the binary systems
Groombridge 34, at 1.8 light-years away, and
Kruger 60, at 4.5 light-years. ==See also==