Where is Voyager 1 and how far can it go?

That's the question I have; where is Voyager 1 and how far can it go?

I did some Googling and got some information, but nothing that I could understand. I'm not an astronomer, I don't fully understand some of the terminology and it's difficult for me to understand it's true location with the maps/pictures that are available online.

However, I'm a bit of a fan of Voyager 1. I'm very intrigued with it's mission. So, here's what I do know: I know that it's in interstellar space, which is different from the space we live in. I know that it's still within our sun's gravitational pull and that it's traveling at about 17 miles per sec(?). And as I understand the power still has about 10 years of life before it shuts down.

I guess what I'm most wanting to know is from a 3 dimensional perspective, where is it at? As it nears the ort cloud (unless it's already there), is it at risk of colliding with anything? And finally...At its speed of travel, how far can it go before we lose contact?

Please forgive my lack of knowledge...I'm just trying to broaden what little I do know about it.

Thanks,
Joe

a reply to: Assassin82

It went into inter stellar space and all news stopped.

Voyager 1 exited the heliosphere on August 25, 2012. The heliosphere is a region of space where the plasma and solar winds from the sun encounter the plasma from other stars. It is not a constant, meaning that its distance from the sun moves constantly similar to a balloon expanding and contracting. According to wikipedia in late August 2012 Voyager 1 was at a distance of 120 Au. The Oort cloud is theorized to be at a distance of up to 50,000 AU. So therefor no it hasn't reached the Oort cloud yet.

Cosmology is one of my favorite subjects and I have been watching Voyager for a while now. I believe even though it will go dormant in ten years it will drift forever in interstellar space. Gets me excited!

a reply to: TacticalStats

Is there any relation to our global climate with the heliosphere cycles?

" is it at risk of colliding with anything?"

To this question from what I understand the distance of objects in the Oort cloud on average is a larger gap than the distance of our planet to our moon. This would make it very easy to maneuver through the massive amount of gaps that theoretically exist there. Just think of how many asteroids miss Earth but pass in between this same distance of space. Now, I'm not sure how Voyager 1 was constructed and how it perceives what is around it but even if it was sent out there relying on luck alone I think the odds are in its favor that it won't collide with any objects out there.

a reply to: onequestion

That I do not know. I am one that feels space weather is far more important than currently believed but I do not have the details or evidence to make any substantiated claims.

a reply to: Assassin82





Voyager 1 left the solar system aiming toward the constellation Ophiuchus. In the year 40,272 AD, Voyager 1 will come within 1.7 light years of an obscure star in the constellation Ursa Minor (the Little Bear or Little Dipper) called AC+79 3888. So, if you want to know roughly where is Voyager 1 is at, look towards the Little Dipper and it's somewhere out there.

originally posted by: TacticalStats
Voyager 1 exited the heliosphere on August 25, 2012. The heliosphere is a region of space where the plasma and solar winds from the sun encounter the plasma from other stars. It is not a constant, meaning that its distance from the sun moves constantly similar to a balloon expanding and contracting. According to wikipedia in late August 2012 Voyager 1 was at a distance of 120 Au. The Oort cloud is theorized to be at a distance of up to 50,000 AU. So therefor no it hasn't reached the Oort cloud yet.

Cosmology is one of my favorite subjects and I have been watching Voyager for a while now. I believe even though it will go dormant in ten years it will drift forever in interstellar space. Gets me excited!

Good stuff! I found this image during my search (hoping I can properly attach the picture). On the image, I didn't realize how far out the ort cloud was. I was able to get an understanding of how far an AU is. So basically, by what you're saying, it's going to be a very, very long time before it reaches the ort cloud. It'd be really cool if one day in the future we could fly out and scoop up Voyager 1 and bring it home.

files.abovetopsecret.com...

Thanks for the info.

It's heading for the "Machine Planet" so it may fulfill its destiny in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Couldn't get the picture to post. This is only my second thread, still a newb in that area.

a reply to: N3k9Ni

That I did not know. Makes me think differently when I look at the little dipper. Very nice.

originally posted by: N3k9Ni
a reply to: Assassin82





So, if you want to know roughly where is Voyager 1 is at, look towards the Little Dipper and it's somewhere out there.

I'll get to see my son over Christmas. I think he and I will step outside one night, and I'm going to do just that! It'll be neat to tell him that's where Voyager 1 is. Thanks for pointing that out!

a reply to: Assassin82

Yeah i don't know how to post pictures either but I like to think that we will have the ability to warp out there or something but I don't know. I want us to launch a shuttle and capture the Hubble telescope before it burns up in the atmosphere but that would cost what four hundred million dollars. But I would love to go to the Smithsonian to see that structure hanging next to the spirit of St Louis.

Good questions, what i do know is that even though in graphics and CGI models that you see of the Oort cloud make it look very populated and it is but the distances are very big between objects "mostly" so probably not much chance of hitting anything

Excellent...figured it out! So this added some perspective to it for me. So my next question is, what kind of transmissions is it still able to send? Basic coordinates? Solar activity? Is it limited at all due to its distance? Or are we basically just able to approximate it's location based on projected speeds and models?

a reply to: Assassin82

That is a perfect perspective on things. So according to that scale its at the 10 to the second power. Got some time to go but it won't reach a-Centauri. Never was intended to go there.

originally posted by: Assassin82

Excellent...figured it out! So this added some perspective to it for me. So my next question is, what kind of transmissions is it still able to send? Basic coordinates? Solar activity? Is it limited at all due to its distance? Or are we basically just able to approximate it's location based on projected speeds and models?

amazing pic, what the heck is the termination shock part. And is there a terminal shock layer around our solar system like a ball . sorry I a bit ignoramus sometimes.

Please be aware that the diagram posted above is not to scale. Alpha Centauri is (very) approximately 270000 times further from the Sun than Earth is!

What's a bit confusing is that the Voyager has entered interstellar space, but is still in the Solar System. It's still thousands of years from passing through the Oort cloud, and hasn't even achieved Sedna's average distance from the Sun.

All you need to know about the Voyager is at Wikipedia. But while the information on its distance from the Sun is widely available, it would be cool to know its celestial coordinates, i.e. where is it with respect to the stars in the night sky.

Keep in mind that the star the Voyager is going to "visit" is moving very rapidly, so its current location is different from where it will be then.

a reply to: Assassin82

I'm not exactly sure where Voyager is, but it won't be long until Captain Kirk and Spock make contact with it when it's on it's way home to kill us all.