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To: DallasBiff
What if we get greetings from ET's tomorrow, due to the Carl Sagan inspired pioneer plaque,

Don't worry. In astronomical terms, neither Pioneer or Voyager have left the driveway yet.

19 posted on 06/14/2022 3:03:18 AM PDT by fso301
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To: fso301

Voyager is beyond our solar system now. I’m not sure if that puts it out on the street at the end of the driveway, or perhaps at the end of the block, or at the outskirts of town.

I would go with at the edge of town, with miles and miles of Kansas prairie before the next town.

Found the following on the interwebs:

“Voyager 1’s next big encounter will take place in 40,000 years, when the probe comes within 1.7 light-years of the star AC +79 3888. (The star is roughly 17.5 light-years from Earth.)”

Hmm. 40,000 years ago is when the Neanderthal’s starting dying off and Homo Sapiens were taking over. Maybe in another 40,000 years it will be us dying off and the aliens taking over. (Assuming that the aliens have technology to move themselves around the universe fast, which I think is a huge if.)

I think they are off on their math though. From what I could find, Voyager 1 is traveling at 18,000 years per light year. So 17.5 light years it will be 315,000 years to close to the star. And I’m guessing it would need to make a turn to get to the star (which it can’t do), and that would take another 30,000 years.

(300,000 years ago is around the time hominoids started using controlled fire to work tools)


25 posted on 06/14/2022 12:56:17 PM PDT by 21twelve (Ever Vigilant. Never Fearful.)
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