Voyager spacecraft nears exit of solar system

AFP ^ | 121410 | AFP

[Artemis Webb]

WASHINGTON (AFP) – NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has reached the outer edge of the solar system where wind from the Sun is no longer blowing outward, but sideways, the US space agency said.

The spacecraft was launched in 1977 and has since snapped images of Earth and other planets in the solar system and provided NASA with crucial information as it makes its long journey into outer space.

NASA researchers think Voyager 1 will leave the solar system and enter interstellar space, or the area in between the end of the Sun's influence and the next star system, in about four years.

For now, Voyager 1 is 17.4 billion kilometers (10.8 billion miles) from the Sun in "an area where the velocity of the hot ionized gas, or plasma, emanating directly outward from the sun has slowed to zero," the space agency said.

"Scientists suspect the solar wind has been turned sideways by the pressure from the interstellar wind in the region between stars."

NASA noticed that the solar wind's outward speed had slowed to zero back in June, but wanted to look at readings from Voyager 1 over the next four months to be sure.

[donna]

That was 1969!

This is 1977:
Gary Gillmore Faces Firing Squad, First US Execution In 10 Years
Carter Grants Unconditional Amnesty To Vietnam Draft Dodgers
Indera Gandi Is Defeated And Resigns
570 Die As Two 740’s Collide Over Canary Islands
Carter Says B-1 Bomber Is Unnecessary
“Son Of Sam” Killer Is Arrested In NYC

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks KoRn.

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Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·

[SunkenCiv]

In the Stars: Onward, Voyager! (Voyager 1 and 2 leave the Solar system)
Science Daily | May 27 | Phil Berardelli
Posted on 05/27/2005 9:16:42 PM PDT by Arkie2
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1412109/posts

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/pioneeranomaly/index

[Mmogamer]

From @voyager2

Sister ship Voyager1 is 16 hrs 07 mins 28 secs of light-travel time from Earth

[GreenLanternCorps]

The George Hammond could be there in about 10 minutes.

[LibFreeOrDie]

[SunkenCiv]

Those four craft (the two late-number Pioneers and the two Voyagers) are moving faster than any human artifacts, ever. And after more than thirty years, they haven’t traveled more than a tiny fraction of a light year. :’)