Voyager 1, a nuclear powered space probe launched by National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1977, is nearing the border of the solar system. Voyager 1 has spent the last thirty three years on a quest known as the "Grand Tour" which has taken it to Jupiter, Saturn and far beyond. When Voyager 1 was launched, National Aeronautics and Space Administration put the Voyager Golden Record on board, a disc holding noises and pictures of Earth intended for the consumption of alien populations. NASA probably had to obtain a large pay day loan to finance the Voyager 1 even in 1977.
Voyager 1 draws near interstellar space
Voyager 1 is traveling into deep space at a velocity of 38,185 mph and was about 11 billion miles from Earth on Dec. 14. It has entered a region of space called the heliosheath. The heliosheat could be defined. It is the limit of the range of solar wind that is going on. We can define what is in solar wind too. It has charged particles from the sun that make up the heliosphere bubble. Since the solar win, which is measured by instruments onboard, went to zero, NASA scientists know the Voyager 1 is in the heliosheath instead of the heliophere. Hopefully, it won't be long before the Voyager 1 leaves the heliosheath to go into interstellar space. It is expected to be about another four years.
Where the Voyager 1 has gone
The alignment of outer planets was taken into account when the Voyager 1 was sent on a mission on September 5, 1977. The Voyager 1 was to be slingshot further into space going faster by using the gravity of Jupiter. This was "gravity assist" which was a newly discovered technique. The Voyager 1 was able to send the 1st high-resolution photos of both Jupiter and Saturn. In 1979 and 1980, these were gone. Earth is featured on top of a black background in the "Pale Blue Dot" taken in 1990. This was the last photo sent by Voyager 1. Data will likely keep being transmitted until 2025 by the probe. This is because it’s nuclear powered. More than 16 hrs are needed for Voyager 1 to get radio signals to Earth.
Exactly what the Voyager Golden Record is
If aliens are met by the Voyager 1, there is the Golden Record ready to go. Life on the planet in 1977 will be shown. Data about the solar system and its planets as well as images of Earth from humans to insects were put on the Voyager Golden Record. It is really just a gold-plated copper phonograph record with a turntable and stylus. There were a lot of sounds put on there. Included were music samples from Beethoven to Chuck Berry, birds singing and even the sound of the ocean.
Citations
Universe Today
universetoday.com/81662/voyager-1-has-outdistanced-the-solar-wind/
Daily Mail
dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1338448/Voyager-near-solar-edge-33-years-launch.html
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record
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