Wormhole. Conceptual computer artwork showing a wormhole leading from Earth (upper centre) to our nearest star Alpha Centauri (lower centre), 4.3 light years away. Wormholes are a theoretical solution to Einstein's equations that describe the properties of space-time, the continuum of unified space and time, and are essentially a shortcut through space-time. Passing through a wormhole would be a much faster method of travel than the standard route through space (red arrow).