Monday, October 10, 2011

Spacecraft Reaches the Edge of the Solar System, Finally

After 33 years, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) spacecraft Voyager 1 reached the edge of the solar system, where there is no outward motion of solar wind. According to the mission controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the US, Voyager 1 is about 17.4 billion kilometers from the Sun.

According to the reports, Voyager 1 has crossed into an area where the velocity of ionized gas (or plasma) that is emanating from the Sun has slowed to zero. This is said to be the final phase of the solar system exploration.

The Voyager 1 is one of the two spacecrafts that were launched to explore the planets of the outer solar system and the interplanetary environment. Their major objectives are to investigate the planet's atmosphere; characterize the satellites of the planets; provide improved values for the physical characteristics of the planet, its satellites, and any rings; and determine the magnetic field structure and characterize the composition and distribution of energetic trapped particles and plasma.

According to the Voyager scientists, they were not totally expecting that the twin spacecrafts will make it this far. Space exploration was still very new at that time, so there is no evidence that they can last that long in space. Still, they are hoping to have another 4 to 5 years for studies before their power sources is depleted.

Voyager 1 is said to be the furthest-travelled man-made object to leave the solar system.

comments

5 comments :

papaleng said...

Eh ano, di ko type binagsasabi nitong mga ungas na ito. Pwede ba, yung tungkol na lang sa mga eclipse at meteors. Ma-gets ko pa.

Naruto said...

That's good information. Thanks for sharing. :)

KM said...

hey marie, did you join any meme yet? sali ka na :)

KM said...

you go to the blog which hosts the meme. for example yung blog na Travel Diva hosts Tuesday Travels. every Tuesday, may post yun about sa whatever the theme for the month is. halimbawa this month ang theme is Octoberfest - so about festivals. at the end of the post, makikita mo kung saan mo ilalagay yung link ng entry mo, then automatic na yun mag-po-post dun sa blog nya. basta make sure to include yung badge or link ng host sa post mo. same goes to other memes, basahin mo lang kung ano yung themes/rules, then mag submit ka lang pag up na yung post where you can link your entry.

NCF said...

Eds...dumugo ilong at tenga ko sa post mo...tsk..tsk...kakaiba na level mo ah :)
nice one though :)

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