Eight billion miles away, Voyager exits Solar System

The Independent (U.K.) ^ | 11/06/03 | Steve Connor

[Egon]

Scientists call this boundary the "termination shock" because the sudden drop in velocity of the solar wind from supersonic to subsonic speeds causes a transition similar to the sonic boom caused as an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound.

Really? How fast does sound travel in a vaccuum?

[RightWhale]

their data can most readily be explained if the termination shock had been crossed

Field strength, particle encounters are so low that the data would be nearly flatlined anyway. It's still a loooong cold, dark way to the next star.

[rudypoot]

"I tend to agree with Krimigis et al that their data can most readily be explained if the termination shock had been crossed," Dr Fisk said.

Dr. Fisk, no one in the real world uses the phrase "et al" in a conversation. You obviously don't get out much. Therefore, I am sending you a perscription of 12 beers to be taken once every thirty minutes in a strip joint. Additional beers may be taken as needed.

[rudypoot]

Over 900 meters a second.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

Surely the greys have scooped it up by now.

[Poohbah]

Eight billion miles away, Voyager exits Solar System

Hope it locked the door as it left.

[RightWhale]

I hate journalists

Right. What's wrong with the article?

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I used "et al" a couple of weeks ago. Can my prescription be here by the weekend?

[Egon]

Over 900 meters a second.

Not in my physics books.

[Pokey78]

LOL! et al would be a good username.

[finnman69]

Cool, I saw Voyager 2 launch when I was a kid at the Cape. Very cool and I will always rememember it.

[tet68]

"And once the termination shock has definitely been passed, the adventure enters a new phase."


I hate it when they say that....

[From The Deer Stand]

"the probe has left the Solar System for the icy depths of interstellar space"

Just what is the temperature out there?

[rudypoot]

well, ok ok. that is the speed of sound in helium gas. I remember calculating it in p chem lab.

[Straight Vermonter]

I hope you are kidding.

[GRRRRR]

Oh for shure...we're NOT stopping til we get THERE!

[cruiserman]

and in 1991 its camera pointed briefly back towards Earth to capture an historic photograph of nearly allof the Solar System's nine planets

Anyone got a link to this picture?

[finnman69]

Or Klingon Captain Klaa uses it for target practice.

[ElkGroveDan]

And I hope no space-faring race finds that god-awful plaque depicting in contour lines two naked humanoids with seventies haircuts next to a wildly out-of-scale schematic of an atom.

You mean this one? It was actually on Pioneer. But I agree with your assesment.

[newgeezer]

209490 bytes? Have mercy on the have-nots. (A JPEG could say as much and look better in < 30K. ;O)