Voyager 1 Exits the Solar System - UPDATED
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
They make it sound exciting but the truth is, a hunk of metal we sent into nothingness 35 years ago is now traveling through vast areas of even more nothingness.
Space is very, very empty. Some people make it sound like you could bump into a fascinating new planet or space-dust, but it's really not the case.
Think of an empty volume the size of Earth. Now occupy that volume with 1 grain of sand, placed in the middle. That grain of sand represents our entire solar system (including Kuiper belt, comets, etc), and that grain of sand is the only grain of sand there, you will not find any more sand in that volume.
Voyager 1 has only just managed to get away from that grain of sand. It is estimated that Voyager 1 will have to travel for another 40,000-50,000 years to reach the next grain of sand (i.e. Alpha Centauri, the closest star). That's longer than the length of time that humans have been walking upright.
That's how depressingly empty space is.
Space is very, very empty. Some people make it sound like you could bump into a fascinating new planet or space-dust, but it's really not the case.
Think of an empty volume the size of Earth. Now occupy that volume with 1 grain of sand, placed in the middle. That grain of sand represents our entire solar system (including Kuiper belt, comets, etc), and that grain of sand is the only grain of sand there, you will not find any more sand in that volume.
Voyager 1 has only just managed to get away from that grain of sand. It is estimated that Voyager 1 will have to travel for another 40,000-50,000 years to reach the next grain of sand (i.e. Alpha Centauri, the closest star). That's longer than the length of time that humans have been walking upright.
That's how depressingly empty space is.
The declare this pretty often don't they, and it seems like its happening more often lately (or maybe i'm just more aware of it) but every time they announce it, it takes a few days for them to change their mind and say "its actually just the next layer out of the solar system... space is big yo".
Or, deeming it a sentient machine like themselves, repairs it, giving it the rudimentary intelleigence it needs to return home and share its data with its creator.Beffudled Sheep said:
I know Andy Chalk beat me to it, but I still had to say it.
Me being the negative nancy that I am I never considered that...Zachary Amaranth said:
Hm, touche.
I wouldn't count it as a positive thing. It didn't turn out well the last time [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ikHoBKVlCA].Beffudled Sheep said:
It didn't actually leave yet, but it's getting there. And it really makes me happy that one day soon, a man made object will reach interstellar space. People don't seem to realize how fuckin' huge and cool that is. Everyone in my immediate area is like "meh, who gives a shit". Fuck those people.
Not likely. Sorry to burst your bubble but it will probably end up destroyed soon, by asteroids, or some anomaly. It's a miracle it hasn't by now.Thunderous Cacophony said:
By soon I mean fairly soon within the millions of years it could take for 'aliens' to find it in space.
Absurd thought of the moment: there are many scientific instruments and tools made decades ago that are still valuable today and will be of value decades from now. Getting something like this working for so long in such an environment is no small feat.
If within our lifetime it becomes possible to send light/somewhat simple crafts to reach and rendezvous with the likes of Voyager, Pioneer and New Horizons within months instead of decades, these distant emissaries may still be well worth refueling and refurbishing (with radio upgrades of course).
If within our lifetime it becomes possible to send light/somewhat simple crafts to reach and rendezvous with the likes of Voyager, Pioneer and New Horizons within months instead of decades, these distant emissaries may still be well worth refueling and refurbishing (with radio upgrades of course).
Yes, well, I hope we start a new space probe program since this one worked so well. It's nice to see that we got a probe out of the system, now if we could only do it with a person.
Are we still receiving telemetry from it? Granted, it takes FOREVER to transmit a signal that far, but it would be awesome. I probably should have kept up on the voyager program more, but astronomy was just never my thing.
Please for the love of your future warnings, please add something else to your post, something that is relevant to the convocation. a video alone does not cut it. it may in other forums but we are not IGN or 4CHAN here.Mypetmonkey said:
On topic, all I can think of is star trek. What if there are aliens!
I can't help but think of The Warfare of Genghis Khan...
Voyager just keeps on leaving the solar system, time and time again...and it will leave again at least one more time...
...anyway what Josh (or Sorkin) said still stands...here is the track, it's haunting even before you realise this one of Earth's ambassadors...
Voyager just keeps on leaving the solar system, time and time again...and it will leave again at least one more time...
...anyway what Josh (or Sorkin) said still stands...here is the track, it's haunting even before you realise this one of Earth's ambassadors...