Voyager 1 spots new region at the edge of the Solar System

[menotu]

by John Timmer - Dec 3, 2012

Area surprises researchers as it wasn't predicted by models of the region.

The Voyagers have both reached the heliosheath at the edge of the Solar System, but Voyager 1 has hit a region of it we didn't know was there

Several years ago the Voyager spacecraft neared the edge of the Solar System, where the solar wind and magnetic field started to be influenced by the pressure from the interstellar medium that surrounds them. But the expected breakthrough to interstellar space appeared to be indefinitely put on hold; instead, the particles and magnetic field lines in the area seemed to be sending mixed signals about the Voyagers' escape. At today's meeting of the American Geophysical Union, scientists offered an explanation: the durable spacecraft ran into a region that nobody predicted.

The Voyager probes were sent on a grand tour of the outer planets over 35 years ago. After a series of staggeringly successful visits to the planets, the probes shot out beyond the most distant of them toward the edges of the Solar System. Scientists expected that as they neared the edge, we'd see the charge particles of the solar wind changing direction as the interstellar medium alters the direction of the Sun's magnetic field. But while some aspects of the Voyager's environment have changed, we've not seen any clear indication that it has left the Solar System. The solar wind actually seems to be grinding to a halt.

Today's announcement clarifies that the confusion was caused by the fact that nature didn't think much of physicists' expectations. Instead, there's an additional region near our Solar System's boundary that hadn't been predicted.



http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/12/voyager-1-spots-new-region-at-the-edge-of-the-solar-system/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arstechnica%2Findex+%28Ars+Technica+-+All+content%29

[jaydot]

looks like voyager has reached the 'cell wall' and is making its way through.  endlessly entertaining these space craft.

[Reb]

I do hope someone knows Morse code, for the return in 200-300 years time 

Seriously though, what amazing pieces of machinery the Voyager's are, absolutely incredible how they've survived, and still work.

I find myself wondering, how long is the time delay for the information to get back to earth now, from all the way out there ?

 

[seaeagle1965]

I do hope someone knows Morse code, for the return in 200-300 years time  

Seriously though, what amazing pieces of machinery the Voyager's are, absolutely incredible how they've survived, and still work.

I find myself wondering, how long is the time delay for the information to get back to earth now, from all the way out there ?

 

Really amazing machines. Their current power output is approximately 359 watts - equivalent to just 5 or 6 average incandescent light bulbs. And yet we can still detect their signals from the massive distance of 18,468,406,000 kilometres (11,475,735,413 miles). To answer your question about how long it takes for the signal to travel from Voyager 1 to Earth, the speed of light in space is 299,792 kilometres per second. So it would take radio signals about 61,604 seconds to travel the distance to us, which is equivalent to 17 hours, 6 minutes & 43 seconds (at the time I wrote this).

[Reb]

Really amazing machines. Their current power output is approximately 359 watts - equivalent to just 5 or 6 average incandescent light bulbs. And yet we can still detect their signals from the massive distance of 18,468,406,000 kilometres (11,475,735,413 miles). To answer your question about how long it takes for the signal to travel from Voyager 1 to Earth, the speed of light in space is 299,792 kilometres per second. So it would take radio signals about 61,604 seconds to travel the distance to us, which is equivalent to 17 hours, 6 minutes & 43 seconds (at the time I wrote this).

Thank you, for that detailed answer 

Now I'm even more amazed, just under 400 watts, and we can still receive the signal from there, what with all the space debris, background radiation, solar disturbances, space dust etc etc !

I remember how difficult it was with citizens band radio, to get a signal a "few miles" down the road   

[seaeagle1965]

I remember how difficult it was with citizens band radio, to get a signal a "few miles" down the road   

This is a good site to visit if you want to see a bit more about the missions: Voyager - The Interstellar Mission. This page shows where they are & lets you fly alongside them: Where are the Voyagers - NASA Voyager (click the pictures to see the movies of their trips through the solar system).

[kjpetrie]

According to the figures on the NASA site it's travelling at around 36,000 mph. That's about 20 times the speed of a rifle bullet. Pretty impressive!