Spacecraft reaches edge of solar system: CNN

In summary: The probes were gradually slowing down over time, until eventually they came to a complete stop. It's still an open question as to what caused this.
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  • #2
I thought it had been going through space which hadn't been explored before for the last 10 years or so...
 
  • #3
Don't you think it's a little cold out there?
And one million miles a day? That's REALLY fast.
Is this thing sending back any images?
 
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  • #4
Originally posted by StephenPrivitera
Is this thing sending back any images?

Images, no. Data, yes.
(I could provide a link but it isn't working at the moment...I'll try to post it later.)
 
  • #5
Voyager 1's journey marks a major scientific milestone: For the first time, a man-made object has traveled 8.4 billion miles (13.5 billion kilometers), about 90 times the distance between the Earth and sun.

90 AU is well past the orbit of the outermost planet (Pluto @ 39.5 AU)
but it is still potentially inside the Kuiper Belt (30 to 100 AU from the sun) and certainly well inside the suspected distance of the Oort Cloud (10's of thousands of AU). So, if you define the solar system to include the Oort Cloud, Voyager is still within the solar system. If you're only concerned about the 9 planets, then Voyager is long gone.

Either way, the Voyager program was a screaming success.
 
  • #6
I saw somewhere that Voyager had crossed the heliopause. Could you discuss this claim?
 
  • #7
Originally posted by selfAdjoint
I saw somewhere that Voyager had crossed the heliopause. Could you discuss this claim?

I had not heard that. I know V1 was picking up radio signals thought to be coming from the heliopause, but the exact location of the termination shock was still a mystery, last I heard. I also think that these radio waves, or more likely some related electromagnetic phenomenon may be responsible for the mysterious deceleration of the Voyager and Pioneer probes.
 

1. What is the edge of the solar system?

The edge of the solar system is the boundary where the influence of the sun's gravitational pull ends and the interstellar medium begins. It is also known as the heliopause.

2. How long did it take for the spacecraft to reach the edge of the solar system?

The spacecraft, Voyager 1, took 35 years to reach the edge of the solar system. It was launched in 1977 and reached the heliopause in 2012.

3. What is the significance of a spacecraft reaching the edge of the solar system?

This is a major milestone in space exploration as it allows us to gather valuable information about the outer boundaries of our solar system and the conditions in interstellar space. It also gives us insights into the evolution of our solar system.

4. How does the spacecraft communicate with Earth when it is so far away?

The spacecraft has a radio transmitter that sends signals back to Earth. These signals travel at the speed of light and take around 19 hours to reach Earth from the edge of the solar system.

5. What is next for the spacecraft after reaching the edge of the solar system?

The spacecraft will continue its journey into interstellar space and send back data about the conditions in this unexplored region. It is expected to continue functioning until 2025, after which its power source will run out and it will no longer be able to send signals back to Earth.

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