Thursday, May 26, 2005
Voyager I, Sol's ambassador
NASA reports that Voyager 1, launched on 5 September 1977, is leaving our solar system and has finally entered the heliosheath, the area where solar winds mix with interstellar winds. This makes the intrepid spacecraft the first known artificial object to leave the sun's influence.
It is currently 8.7 billion miles (13 light-hours) from the sun. Voyager 2 is also on the way out and it about 6.5 billion miles from the sun.
Remember 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, featuring the incredibly knowledgeable and slightly dangerous V'ger? It's good to know that life continues to imitate art imitating life.
It is currently 8.7 billion miles (13 light-hours) from the sun. Voyager 2 is also on the way out and it about 6.5 billion miles from the sun.
Remember 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, featuring the incredibly knowledgeable and slightly dangerous V'ger? It's good to know that life continues to imitate art imitating life.
