Author Topic: Voyagers 1 & 2 on edge of solar system (Read 599 times)

islander · « **on:** September 06, 2012, 10:03:47 AM »

AFP Photo by AFP/NASA/JPL-Caltech/File
Artist's concept painting released June 19, 2012 by NASA/JPL-Caltech shows Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 at the edge of the solar system. Voyager 1, launched in 1977, is nearing the edge of the solar system and may already be "dancing on the edge" of outer space, the scientists behind the project said.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/

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islander · « **Reply #1 on:** September 06, 2012, 10:09:05 AM »

some background:

The twin Voyager craft -- Voyager 2 was actually launched first, on August 20, 1977, followed by Voyager 1 on September 5 -- were designed primarily to study the biggest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn.

Taking advantage of a planetary alignment, they fulfilled that mission before pushing on to Uranus and Neptune, beaming back stunning images of the first two in 1979 and 1980, and the latter pair in 1986 and 1989.

But with those jobs complete and both craft still functioning perfectly, project managers decided to keep mining information as the devices fly further into the void and towards the very edge of our solar system.

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islander · « **Reply #2 on:** September 06, 2012, 10:12:03 AM »

Before May's surge in cosmic rays researchers had said they expected Voyager 1 would leave the solar system and enter interstellar space -- between the boundary of the Sun's influence and the next star system -- within two years.

NASA has described Voyager 1 -- now 11 billion miles (18 billion kilometers) away from the Sun -- and its companion Voyager 2 as "the two most distant active representatives of humanity and its desire to explore."

The scientists controlling Voyager 1 -- whose 1970s technology gives it just a 100,000th of the computer memory of an eight-gigabyte iPod Nano -- decided to turn off its cameras after it passed Neptune in 1989, to preserve power.

Assuming the craft continues to function normally, they will have to start turning off other on-board instruments from 2020, and it is expected to run out of power completely in 2025, said [space scientist Ed] Stone.

excerpts from 35 years on, Voyager 'dancing on edge' of outer space by Michael Thurston, AFP
more at http://uk.news.yahoo.com/nasas-voyager-dancing-edge-solar-system-044659217.html

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Author Topic: Voyagers 1 & 2 on edge of solar system (Read 599 times)

islander

Voyagers 1 & 2 on edge of solar system

islander

Re: Voyagers 1 & 2 on edge of solar system

islander

Re: Voyagers 1 & 2 on edge of solar system