Voyager 1 is at Solar System's End

[azmouse]

Quote:We knew this day would come: NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, today still traveling away from Earth at a rate of 35,700 miles-per-hour, has entered into a new region of space at the end of the solar system, NASA announced on Monday.

“We believe this is the last leg of our journey to interstellar space,” said Voyager’s longstanding project scientist, Ed Stone, who has been in charge of the mission of the spacecraft and its identical twin Voyager 2 since their launches, in a statement published Monday by NASA. “Our best guess is it’s likely just a few months to a couple years away. The new region isn’t what we expected, but we’ve come to expect the unexpected from Voyager.”

Specifically, Stone and NASA scientists have received data from Voyager’s still-functioning instruments that reveals the direction of the magnetic field lines haven’t yet changed to indicate that voyager has left the Solar System.

http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/201...fpnewsfeed

[pappy]

Bye "V'ger", see ya in about 260 years.

[azmouse]

(12-04-2012 12:01 PM)pappy Wrote:  

Bye "V'ger", see ya in about 260 years.

Live long and prosper, Mr Pappy.

With any luck there will still be carbon-based life forms on Earth when it returns... and a Kirk unit to protect us.

[Hekate]

So long, Voyager. Our hearts and imaginations go with you. Someday...

Hekate