NASA scientists have revealed that they only need the first 15 decimal places of the mathematical constant pi to carry out most of their complex calculations. Pi, commonly abbreviated as 3.14, is the ratio between a circle’s diameter and circumference.
Although pi is an irrational number with an infinite number of decimal places, NASA scientists rarely require more than a few dozen extra digits for their calculations. Currently, there are 62.8 trillion known digits of pi, but only a few are needed for most real-world applications.
The numbers used by NASA scientists are too small for additional decimal places to significantly impact the output value. Even at planetary or stellar scales, the difference in calculations using the first 16 digits of pi and more accurate versions is negligible.
For instance, the Voyager 1 probe is more than 15 billion miles away from Earth, but the difference in using the first 16 digits of pi for calculations is less than the width of a little finger. However, some calculations still require more decimal places for accuracy in certain cases.
Overall, NASA scientists have mastered the art of using just the right amount of decimal places of pi to ensure precision in their calculations, showcasing their expertise in the field of space exploration.
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