Voyager 1 reaches the edges of the solar system

Voyager 1 reaches the edges of the solar system

voices.washingtonpost.com

It is a space mission 33 years in the making: The Voyager 1 spacecraft will cross a boundary not yet crossed before. It will leave our solar system and enter interstellar space.

Launched in 1977, the unmanned ship is about 10.8 billion miles away from the sun, in an area of the solar system called the heliosheath. The heliosheath is the final area of the solar system where the sun's wind blows. Past that point, it's a whole new world.

Again, though, we're talking about NASA time. So the final miles the Voyager needs to cross before it reaches that whole new world will probably take f

(visit the link for the full news article)

Well there we go. 33 years to reach interstellar space.
the farthest man made object.

I wonder what this thing is going to find. I hope that it returns some data that turns science upon it's ear.

You know. And I wonder about that onboard message. will anyone actually be able to listen to the sounds on that thing?
we should of sent a record player to play the freaking disc.

voices.washingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

An advanced civilization would find ways to 'decrypt' the data into soundwaves. And then, when they hear a Bach masterpiece, they surely won't attack us. That is, if they've got emotions.

You beat me to it by minutes! Congrats! There is more information here:
Space Daily
Humanity has now become an interstellar civilization.

reply to post by DJW001


you are correct sir!

Now we await the arrival of Klatu with Gort to tell us we better shape up or ship out.

reply to post by grey580


I am surprised that it's lasted this long without being walloped by some rock.

I guess that they are expected to be operational until 2020, I wonder what they will find in the next 10 years?

Here's a fun website for yall

voyager.jpl.nasa.gov...

amazing....must be incredible for the ones involved in the manufacturing of the voyager knowing its the only man made object to travel that far and actually leave our own solar system....amazing


Q: anyone have any idea how long we have been broadcasting radio signals, curious as to which would be more likely to make contact, the voyager or radio broadcasts and which would do it first (unless there is a broadcast range which I'm sure there is)

Originally posted by grey580


Well there we go. 33 years to reach interstellar space.
the farthest man made object.

that is totally awesome, I wonder where it's headed and I wonder how long it take to reach 'inter-galactic' space, the space between the galaxies (the true void) It might even be a brick wall. lol

There's a related discussion going on here;

Voyager near Solar System's edge
www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by WeZet


You never know. If this is a Douglas Adams universe, they would probably be a race who conducts warfare through beautiful music. We would end up taking out an entire fleet as they tried to figure out what had gone wrong.

How long is this craft expected to function? is 2020 just an estimate
I am floored that we are still getting a signal I mean do radio signals travel for infinity at the speed of light?

It took 33 years and a lot of sweat to put the first piece of human space-junk into inter-galactic space.....there is more to follow.

third line.

Originally posted by paradiselost333
I am floored that we are still getting a signal I mean do radio signals travel for infinity at the speed of light?

Yep, because they have no mass. They will carry on for infinity at C - light speed - unless they hit something or are intercepted.

i have been reading a book on quantum theory and it claims that it is potentially possible to communicate through atoms using a binary system as every atom has a twin that will spin in the opposite way from its twin instantly, even if they are millions of light years apart. this made me think that some races may be so advanced that they havent used radio waves for thousands, maybe even millions of years and therefore we may not be able to interact with them.

reply to post by grey580


i find it hard to fathom that they can "see or monitor" where this thing is. and expect it to return.

Originally posted by lewman
i have been reading a book on quantum theory and it claims that it is potentially possible to communicate through atoms using a binary system as every atom has a twin that will spin in the opposite way from its twin instantly, even if they are millions of light years apart.

What an amazing idea. What's the title of the book?

reply to post by Ashyr


i wonder what sort of data a 30 year old computer can collect, this thing is older than the nes and probably about as powerful as an n64.

reply to post by FOXMULDER147


"quantum theory cannot hurt you" by marcus chown, its not exactly academic but it has some very interesting theory's and puts it in relatively simple words although i have had to reread a few pages to get my head round some parts.

great news op!
furthest man made object?
I bet we've been further.

but love the news! I remember when that little guy was shot into the black.
now I feel old.

So the final miles the Voyager needs to cross before it reaches that whole new world will probably take

reply to post by grey580


I remember when Voyager passed through the Termination Shock when it left the Heliosphere on it's way to eventually piercing the Heliosheath. Then, out in Interstellar space. I am so amazed by this...our sturdy little Voyagers, so far from home and ready to pass on into the Big Unknown. I think we need to celebrate this event; one that as far as we know, has not happened before...one of us has hit Interstellar Space!

I bought a model of the Voyager (enjoyed the videos of their encounters as they left the solar system) and plan to put it together when it arrives and hang it in my classroom. This intrepid little explorer showed us so much in the solar system we could only dream about. Others have followed, but they are the first to leave us forever.