The termination shock lies at a boundary where the solar wind – made of charged particles from the Sun – suddenly falters as it feels pressure from gas in the interstellar medium (Illustration: NASA/Feimer)
Posted on 12/10/2007 11:27:15 AM PST by blam
Voyager 2 probe reaches solar system boundary
18:25 10 December 2007
NewScientist.com news service
David Shiga
The Voyager 2 spacecraft has crossed an important space frontier called the termination shock, and in a few years may become the first object made by humans to travel outside the solar system.
NASA's two Voyager spacecraft were launched in 1977 to tour the outer solar system. They are now far beyond the orbits of the outermost planets and heading towards interstellar space.
In 2004, the faster of the two spacecraft, Voyager 1, became the first human-made object to reach a boundary called the termination shock. There, the solar wind – made of charged particles from the Sun – suddenly falters as it feels pressure from gas in the interstellar medium lying outside the solar system.
But scientists missed observing the crucial moment because the sensitive radio dishes on Earth needed to hear the spacecraft's transmissions did not happen to be listening at the time.
That's because the dishes are in high demand for other missions, such as Cassini, and therefore cannot listen to the Voyagers around the clock. The Voyagers cannot store their observations onboard, so they are lost forever if they are not relayed to Earth as they are made.
Now, Voyager 2 has crossed the same boundary, and this time scientists were lucky enough to be listening when it happened.
Pushing the boundary
The spacecraft crossed the boundary on 30 August 2007 at a distance of 84 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun (1 AU is the distance between the Earth and Sun). By comparison, Pluto is now about 32 AU from the Sun.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.newscientist.com ...
The termination shock lies at a boundary where the solar wind – made of charged particles from the Sun – suddenly falters as it feels pressure from gas in the interstellar medium (Illustration: NASA/Feimer)
ping
Just remember - Vger comes back.
And my dad said this could never happen. Just a matter of time before Veeger destroys all of us!
Do not believe this. The event has been awaited and an article a couple weeks ago said they are listening intently.
Thanks for the post Blam. Quite interesting...
THX, good post
Too bad Hillary’s fat arse...and Obama’s dumb arse weren’t strapped to the thing...
They heard this one. That refers to the one in 2004.
As if the one guy listening decided get a coffee? Right. They had a bunch of people listening to dead air for 24/7 a week before the event and they are probably still listening right now.
The article was referring to Voyager I which crossed the boundary in 2004. I think you’e referring to Voyager II which is crossing the barrier now.
Right you are!
30 years and still working. Not bad at all.
“scientists were lucky enough to be listening when it happened.”
They don’t say what it sounded like, but I bet it wasn’t much of a change.
It’s astounding that we can pick up signals at that distance!
I can’t believe you beat me to it!!!
The space dolphins will chatter with delight.
Sweet! Man now has something right at the very edge of our solar system. Give it a little more time and it will be in outer space.
Getting close to the source of global warming out there and leaving Global Whining far behind.
:-))
Did it see the same UFO that Dennis Kucinich saw ?
Persis Khambatta. Unfortunatley she died of a heart attack in ‘98.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persis_Khambatta
Space Ping
Looks like Brittany was dropped on her head.....more than a few times.
***Give it a little more time and it will be in outer space.***
Perhaps you meant interstellar space.
Some people read, others only think they read. The article is very clear about that.
Yeah, interstellar space.
My brain seems to be in outer space.
bump
We’re going to also have to develop very power communication systems for future planetary probes, as well as manned missions to Mars and beyond.
I’m thinking something along the lines of an Ansible, made famous through Orson Scott Card.
>>I think you’e referring to Voyager II which is crossing the barrier now.<<
I think that they didn’t successfully cross the Galactic Barrier until Star Trek V: The Search for God.
There can be only one.
Ya gotta love Shatner...
I have vague recollections that Khambatta was in a horrific car accident shortly after "Star Trek" was released, and the docs had to cut her head open. Naturally, the blurb made some comment about her no longer being in demand for bald castings.
Also, she had some bouts of cancer too, in her female organs.
Sort of reminds me of the Angelique Pettyjohn in that regard.
and Vger, is asking questions.
30 years and still working. Not bad at all.This is a good record. Thirty years gone and eight billion miles out, and still ticking.
In 30 years it’s traveled .13% of a light year.
At that rate, it will only take 3000 years to get to Alpha Centauri (if it’s headed in the right direction).
How much of a velocity increase can we give probes by slingshotting them around a few planets?
That is why it is silly for people to believe in space aliens.
...or doesn't get shot by a Klingon taking target practice.
That is why it is silly for people to believe in space aliens.The distances are immense and they're full of dust and gas creating engineering problems involving fuel and friction that are incredible, and yet people still imagine aliens zipping around among the stars like highway traffic on a holiday.
Profound.
“Persis”???
She was also an Augment on Star Trek, Enterprise. Grown and educated until the age of 10 by Commander Data’s creator’s granddad, I do believe.
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