SPACE NEWS! Mankind has reached the edge of our solar system!

[AzureAngel17]

This news item dropped quietly last night, but the significance may be incredible. Over the last week Voyager 1 has begun sending back data indicating that it is leaving the Sol System (the system of bodies orbiting our sun, a star named Sol)! While there's no hard boundary between our solar system and interstellar space, this is probably as close as it gets.
SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA *breath* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!!
It tickles me to death that someday I might tell my kids/grandkids that humanity became an interstellar race on my 23rd birthday.

The Voyager 1 launched in 1977 and has been cruising towards the edge of our galactic backyard for the past 35 years. Onboard both Voyagers is also mankind's first attempt at communication with extraterrestrials, a golden record with symbolic instructions for how to play it and data designed by such minds as Carl Sagan to introduce humanity to any of our cosmic neighbors who might happen upon the spacecraft as they hurtle through the abyss. In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the constellation of Camelopardalis. In some 296,000 years, Voyager 2 will pass 4.3 light years (25 trillion miles) from Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. By then the probes will be little more than time capsules, as their onboard systems will likely cease to function around the year 2020.

[Hogan2000]

This news item dropped quietly last night, but the significance may be incredible. Over the last week Voyager 1 has begun sending back data indicating that it is leaving the Sol System (the system of bodies orbiting our sun, a star named Sol)! While there's no hard boundary between our solar system and interstellar space, this is probably as close as it gets.
SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA *breath* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!!
It tickles me to death that someday I might tell my kids/grandkids that humanity became an interstellar race on my 23rd birthday.

The Voyager 1 launched in 1977 and has been cruising towards the edge of our galactic backyard for the past 35 years. Onboard both Voyagers is also mankinds first attempt at communication with extraterrestrials, a golden record with symbolic instructions for how to play it and data designed by such minds as Carl Sagan to introduce humanity to any of our cosmic neighbors who might happen upon the spacecraft as they hurtle through the abyss. In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the constellation of Camelopardalis. In some 296,000 years, Voyager 2 will pass 4.3 light years (25 trillion miles) from Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. By then the probes will be little more than time capsules, as their onboard systems will likely cease to function around the year 2020.

Why would they try to contact other life? That seems rather risky?

[AzureAngel17]

The mission isn't to contact other life. The records are intended as more of a "this is who we are" just in case the probes are found some time in the future. Given the vastness of space, it's unlikely that either probe will ever be found again by anybody once their systems shut down.

[GNFfhqwhgads]

Why would they try to contact other life? That seems rather risky?

Why? Are we a huge threat to any race that exists millions of lightyears away?

No. Because they're MILLIONS OF LIGHTYEARS AWAY.

To say nothing of the whole 'why is it any riskier than just existing on our own planet' thing.

[Lawdog1521]

Happy Bday Azure!

Also, Voyager 1 comes back looking for the creator but instead hooks up with a bald chick. Science fact!

[Hogan2000]

I just don't see what they're trying to accomplishment by sending probes millions of lightyears away? Don't get me wrong, space is a incredible place.. I love to visit it one day but millions of lightyears away is a little much

[Lawdog1521]

Why? Are we a huge threat to any race that exists millions of lightyears away?

No. Because they're MILLIONS OF LIGHTYEARS AWAY.

To say nothing of the whole 'why is it any riskier than just existing on our own planet' thing.

Actually, it's not a bad argument. Actively looking for alien life could be what triggers our demise. There's no reason other than statistical improbability (not impossibility) that one of our probes couldn't signal the attention of a race that has no compunction about exploiting us for their own gain.

Even if they're not malevolent all we have to do is look no farther than our own contact with terrestrial civilizations to see the two coming in contact could have disastrous results. Try getting an LV-426 chest cold. Theraflu won't work when that thing is tearing out of your chest.

[AzureAngel17]

The probes original purpose was to study the outer planets of our solar system. They performed wonderfully, and their missions were extended. Voyager 2 is still the only spacecraft to have visited Neptune and Uranus, and now both are studying the heliosphere, or the edges of our sun's influence in our galactic neighborhood. The thing is they don't have brakes, so once they're done, they'll just keep going on their last vector until something else stops them. Them winding up many lightyears from Earth is more of a side-effect of the mission, not the mission itself.

[GNFfhqwhgads]

No, it really is impossible.


Odds that the probe exposes itself to other life. Virtually none.

Odds that the life would hate us. Virtually none.

Odds that the life COULD exploit us. Virtually none.

Odds that the life could discover the probe's origin. Virtually none.

Odds that their life will exist long enough to somehow make it across space TO us. Virtually none.

Odds that humans will still exist in said exploitable state when all of the above happens in TWO chances. Virtually none.

Odds that other life can survive in conditions WE optimized for when they arrive. Virtually none.

It's impossible.

[Lawdog1521]

I know I don't like when my neighbor throws their junk in my yard.

We should have removed in mailing address on them.