Voyager I

[Albireo380]

Today in 1977, Voyager I was launched.

It bypassed Jupiter in 1977 and Saturn in 1981. It is now somewhere on the edge of the Solar System, near the Heliopause.

Tom

[GordonCopestake]

Today in 1977, Voyager I was launched.

It bypassed Jupiter in 1977 and Saturn in 1981. It is now somewhere on the edge of the Solar System, near the Heliopause.

Tom

I thought it hit Jupiter in '79? It's impressive it's still going really. I was born in '77 and im barely still going hehe. 30 next year! It's all down hill from there on Voyager!

[geppetto]

You cant admire those people enough 8)

When you think what they achieved with the technology of the time :shock:

[GordonCopestake]

I've got more computing power in my mobile phone than they had when they launched voyager!

[OXO]

The Probe was still Transmitting up until recently too, an amazing era in Space Probes and one i feel will take some beating for many a moon to come.

[Carl]

It just amazes me that it`s gone from earth to :jupiter: and is still going.It kinda scary to think about it.

[FLO]

It is now somewhere on the edge of the Solar System, near the Heliopause.

Was I the only one wondering where and what the 'Heliopause' is...

Being too embarassed to ask, I had a quick Google and turned up the following:

The point at which the solar wind meets the interstellar medium or solar wind from other stars.

www.pgd.hawaii.edu/eschool/glossary.htm

the boundary between the solar system and interstellar space.

www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/resources/solar.system/Glossary.html

the boundary marking the edge of the sun's influence; the boundary (roughly 100 AU from the sun) between the interplanetary medium and the interstellar medium; where the solar wind and the wind from other stars meet.

Way to go Voyager 8)

[gsjag]

Good call Steve 8)

[GazOC]

There was a very good article last month in S@N last month on the subject.

[Astroman]

You shouldn't be embarrassed to ask, Steve. That's what we're here for, especially me. I'd have answered it, but probably not come up with that cool graphic! 8)

[FLO]

Image courtesy of Google/NASA .... the next best thing to Astroman

[daz]

So, it's a fair way out, then?? :shock:

An amazing achievment!

[Astroman]

Image courtesy of Google/NASA .... the next best thing to Astroman

Maybe better!

[Astroman]

BTW, I just read an article in Science about, well, the science they discovered with the Voyager's approaching and leaving the heliopause. They were actually able to detect and measure the swelling and shrinking of it, due to the solar cycle.

[FLO]

See! Google didn't tell me that

[OXO]

This is were it ends up :shock:

[Carl]

That`s a point where will it end up.Maybe a black hole

[gsjag]

James, you've surpassed yourself!

[daz]

How long are the signals taking to reach us, anyone know?

(I s'pose I could google it.....)

[Astroman]

If the heliopause is ~100 AU from the Sun, then it takes about 10 hours for the signals to reach us.

[OXO]

James, you've surpassed yourself!

Hehe it's an old Astro Art pic i did infact one of the First

Thanks

James