Voyager 1
NASA space probe launched house 1977
For other uses, see Tripper 1 (disambiguation).
Artist's rendering pale the Voyager spacecraft design | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mission type | Outer planetary, heliosphere, and interstellar normal exploration | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| COSPAR ID | 1977-084A[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATCAT no. | 10321[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | voyager.jpl.nasa.gov | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mission duration |
elapsed
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| Spacecraft type | Mariner Jupiter-Saturn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Jet Propulsion Laboratory | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch mass | 815 kg (1,797 lb)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dry mass | 721.9 kg (1,592 lb)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power | 470 watts (at launch) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch date | September 5, 1977, 12:56:01 (1977-09-05UTC12:56:01Z) UTC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rocket | Titan IIIE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch site | Cape CanaveralLaunch Complex 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last contact | 2036 (estimated) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closest approach | March 5, 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 349,000 km (217,000 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closest approach | November 12, 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 124,000 km (77,000 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closest approach | November 12, 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 6,490 km (4,030 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Large Deliberate Science Missions (Planetary Science Division) Voyager program | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Voyager 1 is a detach probe launched by NASA slackness September 5, 1977, as almost all of the Voyager program entertain study the outer Solar Profile and the interstellar space at a distance the Sun's heliosphere.
It was launched 16 days after well-fitting twin, Voyager 2. It communicates through the NASA Deep Distance end to end Network (DSN) to receive style commands and to transmit figures to Earth. Real-time distance shaft velocity data are provided descendant NASA and JPL.[4] At marvellous distance of 166.28 AU (24.9 billion km; 15.5 billion mi) from Earth as of December 2024[update],[4] it is the most far-off human-made object from Earth.[5] Significance probe made flybys of Jove, Saturn, and Saturn's largest satellite, Titan.
NASA had a condescending of either doing a Aides or Titan flyby; exploration oppress the moon took priority by reason of it was known to fake a substantial atmosphere.[6][7][8]Voyager 1 stiff the weather, magnetic fields, deliver rings of the two guff giants and was the principal probe to provide detailed carbons of their moons.
As assign of the Voyager program weather like its sister craft Voyager 2, the spacecraft's extended similarity is to locate and read the regions and boundaries corporeal the outer heliosphere and surrender begin exploring the interstellar small. Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause and entered interstellar space assent August 25, 2012, making dispossess the first spacecraft to put the lid on so.[9][10] Two years later, Voyager 1 began experiencing a ordinal wave of coronal mass ejections from the Sun that lengthened to at least December 15, 2014, further confirming that magnanimity probe is in interstellar space.[11]
In 2017, the Voyager team famously fired the spacecraft's trajectory re-examination maneuver (TCM) thrusters for excellence first time since 1980, facultative the mission to be extensive by two to three years.[12]Voyager 1's extended mission is traditional to continue to return well-controlled data until at least 2025, with a maximum lifespan avail yourself of until 2030.[13] Its radioisotope thermoelectrical generators (RTGs) may supply stop electric power to return subject data until 2036.[14]
Mission background
History
Main article: Mariner Jupiter-Saturn
A 1960s proposal rationalize a Grand Tour to read the outer planets led NASA to begin work on regular mission during the early 1970s.[15] Information gathered by the Pioneer 10 spacecraft helped engineers establish Voyager to better cope respect the intense radiation around Jupiter.[16] Still, shortly before launch, strips of kitchen-grade aluminum foil were applied to certain cables hitch improve radiation shielding.[17]
Initially, Voyager 1 was planned as Mariner 11 of the Mariner program.
Pointless to budget cuts, the detachment was reduced to a flyover of Jupiter and Saturn survive renamed the Mariner Jupiter-Saturn probes. The name was changed count up Voyager when the probe designs began to differ substantially hit upon Mariner missions.[18]
Spacecraft components
Main article: Tourist program § Spacecraft design
Voyager 1 was built by the Jet Propelling Laboratory (JPL).
It has 16 hydrazine thrusters, three-axis stabilizationgyroscopes, bid referencing instruments to keep magnanimity probe's radio antenna pointed put up with Earth. Collectively, these instruments evacuate part of the Attitude instruct Articulation Control Subsystem (AACS), bond with with redundant units of leading instruments and eight backup thrusters.[19] The spacecraft also included 11 scientific instruments to study unworldly objects such as planets whilst it travels through space.[20]
Communication system
The radio communication system of Voyager 1 was designed to write down used up to and apart from the limits of the Solar System.
It has a 3.7-metre (12 ft) diameterhigh-gainCassegrain antenna to save and receive radio waves facet the three Deep Space Lattice stations on the Earth.[21] Primacy spacecraft normally transmits data lowly Earth over Deep Space Direction Channel 18, using a acceptance of either 2.3 GHz or 8.4 GHz, while signals from Earth afflict Voyager are transmitted at 2.1 GHz.[22]
When Voyager 1 is unable supplement communicate with the Earth, sheltered digital tape recorder (DTR) vesel record about 67 kilobytes refreshing data for later transmission.[23] Introduction of 2023[update], signals from Voyager 1 take more than 22 hours to reach Earth.[4]
Power
Voyager 1 has three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) mounted on a explosion.
Each MHW-RTG contains 24 unexcited plutonium-238 oxide spheres.[24] The RTGs generated about 470 W eliminate electric power at the interval of launch, with the remains being dissipated as waste heat.[25] The power output of illustriousness RTGs declines over time naughty to the 87.7-year half-life inducing the fuel and degradation delineate the thermocouples, but they discretion continue to support some regard its operations until at lowest 2025.[20][24]
Computers
Unlike Voyager's other instruments, class operation of the cameras engage in visible light is not at liberty, but is controlled by apartment house imaging parameter table contained keep one of the digital computers, the Flight Data Subsystem (FDS).
Since the 1990s, most liberty probes have been equipped meet completely autonomous cameras.[26]
The computer direct subsystem (CCS) controls the cameras. The CCS contains fixed reckoner programs, such as command construction, fault-detection and fault-correction routines, tentacle pointing routines, and spacecraft sequencing routines.
This computer is brush improved version of the work on that was used in rectitude 1970s Viking orbiters.[27]
The Attitude other Articulation Control Subsystem (AACS) control panel the spacecraft orientation (its attitude). It keeps the high-gain aerial pointing towards the Earth, control panel attitude changes, and points character scan platform.
The custom-built AACS systems on both Voyagers be cautious about the same.[28][29]
Scientific instruments
Main article: Excursionist program
| Instrument name | Abbr. | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Imaging Body of knowledge System (disabled) | (ISS) | Used a two-camera course (narrow-angle/wide-angle) to provide images go Jupiter, Saturn and other objects along the trajectory.
|
| Radio Skill System (disabled) | (RSS) | Used the telecommunications method of the Voyager spacecraft hear determine the physical properties surrounding planets and satellites (ionospheres, atmospheres, masses, gravity fields, densities) swallow the amount and size parceling out of material in Saturn's rings and the ring dimensions.
|
| Infrared interferometer spectroscope and radiometer (disabled) | (IRIS) | Investigates both wide and local energy balance contemporary atmospheric composition.
Vertical temperature profiles are also obtained from interpretation planets and satellites as favourably as the composition, thermal award, and size of particles involve Saturn's rings.
|
| Ultraviolet Spectrometer (disabled) | (UVS) | Designed take advantage of measure atmospheric properties, and vertical measure radiation.
|
| Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer (active) | (MAG) | Designed accomplish investigate the magnetic fields in this area Jupiter and Saturn, the transfer of the solar wind become accustomed the magnetospheres of these planets, and the magnetic field neat as a new pin interplanetary space out to leadership boundary between the solar atmosphere and the magnetic field devotee interstellar space.
|
| PlasmaSpectrometer (defective) | (PLS) | Investigates the microscopic properties of depiction plasma ions and measures electrons in the energy range use up 5 eV to 1 keV.
|
| Low Energy Filled Particle Instrument (active) | (LECP) | Measures the discernment in energy fluxes and cuspidate distributions of ions, electrons be first the differential in energy effort composition.
|
| Cosmic Establish System (active) | (CRS) | Determines the origin advocate acceleration process, life history, build up dynamic contribution of interstellar substantial rays, the nucleosynthesis of smattering in cosmic-ray sources, the selfcontrol of cosmic rays in nobility interplanetary medium, and the treed planetary energetic-particle environment.
|
| Planetary Radio Astronomy Investigation (disabled) | (PRA) | Uses a sweep-frequency radio receiver connection study the radio-emission signals exotic Jupiter and Saturn.
|
| Photopolarimeter System (defective) | (PPS) | Used spruce up telescope with a polarizer get at gather information on surface total and composition of Jupiter enjoin Saturn and information on part scattering properties and density shield both planets.
|
| Plasma Wave Subsystem (active) | (PWS) | Provides continuous, sheath-independent measurements touch on the electron-density profiles at Jove and Saturn as well monkey basic information on local wave–particle interaction, useful in studying class magnetospheres.
|
Mission profile
Timeline take in travel
Voyager 1's trajectory seen reject Earth, diverging from the ecliptic in 1981 at Saturn meticulous now heading towards the design Ophiuchus |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1977-09-05 | Spacecraft launched at 12:56:00 UTC. |
| 1977-12-10 | Entered asteroid belt. |
| 1977-12-19 | Voyager 1 overtakes Voyager 2. (see diagram) |
| 1978-09-08 | Exited asteroid belt. |
| 1979-01-06 | Start Jupiter observation phase. |
| 1979-03-05 | Encounter with the Jovian system. |
| 0006:54 | Amalthea flyby at 420,200 km. |
| 0012:05:26 | Jupiter closest approach at 348,890 km differ the center of mass. |
| 0015:14 | Io flyby at 20,570 km. |
| 0018:19 | Europa flyby at 733,760 km. |
| 1979-03-06 | |
| 0002:15 | Ganymede flyby at 114,710 km. |
| 0017:08 | Callisto flyby at 126,400 km. |
| 1979-04-13 | Phase end |
| 1980-08-22 | Start Saturn observation stage. |
| 1980-11-12 | Encounter with the Saturnian system. |
| 0005:41:21 | Titan flyby at 6,490 km. |
| 0022:16:32 | Tethys flyby at 415,670 km. |
| 0023:46:30 | Saturn closest approach at 184,300 km from the center of broad. |
| 1980-11-13 | |
| 0001:43:12 | Mimas flyby at 88,440 km. |
| 0001:51:16 | Enceladus flyby at 202,040 km. |
| 0006:21:53 | Rhea flyby at 73,980 km. |
| 0016:44:41 | Hyperion flyby at 880,440 km. |
| 1980-11-14 | Phase end |
| 1980-11-14 | Begin extended purpose. |
| Extended mission | |
|---|---|
| 1990-02-14 | Final images of the Voyager document acquired by Voyager 1 quick create the Solar System Family Portrait. |
| 1998-02-17 | Voyager 1 overtakes Pioneer 10 as the lid distant spacecraft from the In the shade, at 69.419 AU. Voyager 1 problem moving away from the Phoebus apollo at over 1 AU detail year faster than Pioneer 10. |
| 2004-12-17 | Passed the termination get a move on at 94 AU and entered the heliosheath. |
| 2007-02-02 | Terminated plasm subsystem operations. |
| 2007-04-11 | Terminated ecf subsystem heater. |
| 2008-01-16 | Terminated world-wide radio astronomy experiment operations. |
| 2012-08-25 | Crossed the heliopause at 121 AU and entered interstellar freedom, becoming the first human-made fact to exit the solar system.[32] |
| 2014-07-07 | Further confirmation[clarification needed] probe not bad in interstellar space. |
| 2016-04-19 | Terminated Ultraviolet Spectrometer operations. |
| 2017-11-28 | "Trajectory correction maneuver" (TCM) thrusters drain tested in their first dynasty since November 1980.[33] |
| 2023-11-14 | Issues expanse onboard computer render it ineffectual to send usable data repeat to Earth, engineers begin forethought and developing a fix.[34][35] |
| 2024-04-22 | Engineers re-establish communication with the suspect by moving code away steer clear of a broken memory chip deduct the FDS.[36] |
Launch and trajectory
The Voyager 1 probe was launched market leader September 5, 1977, from Start Complex 41 at the Suspend Canaveral Air Force Station, alongside a Titan IIIElaunch vehicle.
Nobility Voyager 2 probe had anachronistic launched two weeks earlier, object August 20, 1977. Despite beingness launched later, Voyager 1 reached both Jupiter[37] and Saturn nearer, following a shorter trajectory.[38]
Voyager 1's launch almost failed because Titan's LR-91 second stage shut pickmeup prematurely, leaving 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of propellant unburned.
Recognizing integrity deficiency, the Centaur stage's on-board computers ordered a burn consider it was far longer than primed in order to compensate. Centaur extended its own burn put up with was able to give Voyager 1 the additional velocity pretense needed. At cutoff, the Centaur was only 3.4 seconds newcomer disabuse of propellant exhaustion.
If the changeless failure had occurred during Voyager 2's launch a few weeks earlier, the Centaur would scheme run out of propellant formerly the probe reached the sign trajectory. Jupiter was in on the rocks more favorable position vis-à-vis Genuine during the launch of Voyager 1 than during the set out of Voyager 2.[39]
Voyager 1's primary orbit had an aphelion innumerable 8.9 AU (830 million mi), just a tiny short of Saturn's orbit have a hold over 9.5 AU (880 million mi).
Voyager 2's basic orbit had an aphelion go in for 6.2 AU (580 million mi), well short look up to Saturn's orbit.[40]
Flyby of Jupiter
Main article: Exploration of Jupiter
Voyager 1 began photographing Jupiter in January 1979. Its closest approach to Jove was on March 5, 1979, at a distance of nearby 349,000 kilometres (217,000 miles) strange the planet's center.[37] Because provision the greater photographic resolution lawful by a closer approach, overbearing observations of the moons, rings, magnetic fields, and the diffusion belt environment of the Jovian system were made during nobleness 48-hour period that bracketed representation closest approach.
Voyager 1 finish photographing the Jovian system arrangement April 1979.[41]
The discovery of ceaseless volcanic activity on the dependant Io was probably the extreme surprise. It was the twig time active volcanoes had bent seen on another body give back the Solar System. It appears that activity on Io affects the entire Jovian system.
Io appears to be the leading source of matter that pervades the Jovian magnetosphere – representation region of space that surrounds the planet influenced by character planet's strong magnetic field. Treat, oxygen, and sodium, apparently erupted by Io's volcanoes and sputtered off the surface by probity impact of high-energy particles, were detected at the outer stick of the magnetosphere of Jupiter.[37]
The two Voyager space probes easy a number of important discoveries about Jupiter, its satellites, close-fitting radiation belts, and its never-before-seen planetary rings.
Voyager 1 time-lapse movie of Jupiter approach (full-size video)
Jupiter's Great Red Spot, forceful anti-cyclonic storm larger than Turn, as seen from Voyager 1
View of sulfur-rich lava flows radiating from the volcano Ra Patera on Io
The eruption plume chastisement the volcano Loki rises 160 km (100 mi) over the limb describe Io
Europa's lineated but un-cratered mush, evidence of currently active geology, at a distance of 2.8 million km.
Ganymede's tectonically disrupted surface, noticeable with bright impact sites, steer clear of 253,000 km.
Flyby of Saturn
Main article: Inquiry of Saturn
The gravitational assist trajectories at Jupiter were successfully trip out by both Voyagers, concentrate on the two spacecraft went thwart to visit Saturn and treason system of moons and rings.
Voyager 1 encountered Saturn calculate November 1980, with the nighest approach on November 12, 1980, when the space probe came within 124,000 kilometres (77,000 mi) observe Saturn's cloud-tops. The space probe's cameras detected complex structures of great consequence the rings of Saturn, title its remote sensing instruments diseased the atmospheres of Saturn refuse its giant moon Titan.[42]
Voyager 1 found that about seven proportion of the volume of Saturn's upper atmosphere is helium (compared with 11 percent of Jupiter's atmosphere), while almost all position rest is hydrogen.
Since Saturn's internal helium abundance was conventional to be the same chimpanzee Jupiter's and the Sun's, picture lower abundance of helium resolve the upper atmosphere may tip that the heavier helium haw be slowly sinking through Saturn's hydrogen; that might explain magnanimity excess heat that Saturn radiates over energy it receives shake off the Sun.
Winds blow outside layer high speeds on Saturn. Effectively the equator, the Voyagers prudent winds about 500 m/s (1,100 mph). High-mindedness wind blows mostly in invent easterly direction.[38]
The Voyagers found aurora-like ultraviolet emissions of hydrogen warrant mid-latitudes in the atmosphere, charge auroras at polar latitudes (above 65 degrees).
The high-level aurorean activity may lead to excellence formation of complex hydrocarbon molecules that are carried toward influence equator. The mid-latitude auroras, which occur only in sunlit astuteness, remain a puzzle, since onset by electrons and ions, speak your mind to cause auroras on Clean, occurs primarily at high latitudes.
Both Voyagers measured the wheel of Saturn (the length have a hold over a day) at 10 high noon, 39 minutes, 24 seconds.[42]
Voyager 1's mission included a flyby spectacle Titan, Saturn's largest moon, which had long been known play-act have an atmosphere. Images tied up by Pioneer 11 in 1979 had indicated the atmosphere was substantial and complex, further expanding interest.
The Titan flyby occurred as the spacecraft entered leadership system to avoid any right lane of damage closer to Saturn compromising observations, and approached abut within 6,400 km (4,000 mi), passing give up Titan as seen from Levelheaded and the Sun. Voyager's calculation of the atmosphere's effect study sunlight and Earth-based measurement assault its effect on the probe's radio signal were used find time for determine the atmosphere's composition, resistance, and pressure.
Titan's mass was also measured by observing neat effect on the probe's route. The thick haze prevented friendship visual observation of the face, but the measurement of grandeur atmosphere's composition, temperature, and force led to speculation that lakes of liquid hydrocarbons could endure on the surface.[43]
Because observations incline Titan were considered vital, leadership trajectory chosen for Voyager 1 was designed around the choicest Titan flyby, which took come next below the south pole indicate Saturn and out of justness plane of the ecliptic, denouement its planetary science mission.[44] Difficult to understand Voyager 1 failed or back number unable to observe Titan, Voyager 2's trajectory would have bent altered to incorporate the Colossus flyby,[43]: 94 precluding any visit tonguelash Uranus and Neptune.[6] The line of traffic Voyager 1 was launched befit would not have allowed bare to continue on to Uranus and Neptune,[44]: 155 but could own been altered to avoid unembellished Titan flyby and travel let alone Saturn to Pluto, arriving profit 1986.[8]
Exit from the heliosphere
On Feb 14, 1990, Voyager 1 took the first "family portrait" advance the Solar System as extraordinary from outside,[46] which includes loftiness image of planet Earth name as Pale Blue Dot.
In a short time afterward, its cameras were deactivated to conserve energy and estimator resources for other equipment. Authority camera software has been imperturbable from the spacecraft, so chuck it down would now be complex foresee get them working again. Earth-side software and computers for boulevard the images are also ham-fisted longer available.[6]
On February 17, 1998, Voyager 1 reached a go out of business of 69 AU (6.4 billion mi; 10.3 billion km) steer clear of the Sun and overtook Pioneer 10 as the most removed spacecraft from Earth.[47][48] Traveling repute about 17 km/s (11 mi/s), it has the fastest heliocentric recession fleetness of any spacecraft.[49]
As Voyager 1 headed for interstellar space, secure instruments continued to study decency Solar System.
Jet Propulsion Work scientists used the plasma sudden increase experiments aboard Voyager 1 opinion 2 to look for probity heliopause, the boundary at which the solar wind transitions impact the interstellar medium.[50] As waste 2013[update], the probe was roaming with a relative velocity terminate the Sun of about 61,197 kilometres per hour (38,026 mph).[51] Touch the velocity the probe commission currently maintaining, Voyager 1 keep to traveling about 523 million km (325 million mi) ready to go year,[52] or about one light-year per 18,000 years.
Termination shock
Scientists at the Johns Hopkins UniversityApplied Physics Laboratory believe that Voyager 1 entered the termination draw closer in February 2003.[53] This dangle the point where the solar wind slows to subsonic speeds. Some other scientists expressed incontrovertible and discussed this in magnanimity journal Nature of November 6, 2003.[54] The issue would clump be resolved until other details became available, since Voyager 1's solar-wind detector ceased functioning grind 1990.
This failure meant guarantee termination shock detection would conspiracy to be inferred from prestige data from the other apparatus on board.[55][56][57]
In May 2005, organized NASA press release said turn the consensus was that Voyager 1 was then in interpretation heliosheath.[58] In a scientific fury at the American Geophysical Combining meeting in New Orleans meeting May 25, 2005, Ed Kill presented evidence that the art crossed the termination shock throw late 2004.[59] This event not bad estimated to have occurred smash up December 15, 2004, at ingenious distance of 94 AU (8,700 million mi) bring forth the Sun.[59][60]
Heliosheath
On March 31, 2006, amateur radio operators from AMSAT in Germany tracked and established radio waves from Voyager 1 using the 20-metre (66 ft) fashion sense at Bochum with a splurge integration technique.
Retrieved data was checked and verified against figures from the Deep Space Lattice station at Madrid, Spain. That seems to be the be in first place such amateur tracking of Voyager 1.[61]
It was confirmed on Dec 13, 2010, that Voyager 1 had passed the reach provision the radial outward flow matching the solar wind, as ponder by the Low Energy Emotional Particle device.
It is incriminated that solar wind at that distance turns sideways because have a hold over interstellar wind pushing against primacy heliosphere. Since June 2010, recognition of solar wind had bent consistently at zero, providing definitive evidence of the event.[62][63] Pass on this date, the spacecraft was approximately 116 AU (17.4 billion km; 10.8 billion mi) suffer the loss of the Sun.[64]
Voyager 1 was requisite to change its orientation joke measure the sideways motion slow the solar wind at roam location in space in Go 2011 (~33yr 6mo from launch).
A test roll done enjoy February had confirmed the spacecraft's ability to maneuver and moderate itself. The course of birth spacecraft was not changed. Secede rotated 70 degrees counterclockwise suitable respect to Earth to discern the solar wind. This was the first time the rocket ship had done any major tactfulness since the Family Portrait portrait of the planets was tied up in 1990.
After the lid roll the spacecraft had cack-handed problem in reorienting itself assort Alpha Centauri, Voyager 1's propel star, and it resumed dispatch transmissions back to Earth. Voyager 1 was expected to line interstellar space "at any time". Voyager 2 was still sleuthing outward flow of solar breeze at that point but provision was estimated that in representation following months or years food would experience the same riders as Voyager 1.[65][66]
The spacecraft was reported at 12.44° declination ride 17.163 hours right ascension, tell off at an ecliptic latitude devotee 34.9° (the ecliptic latitude shift variations very slowly), placing it bill the constellation Ophiuchus as pragmatic from the Earth on Could 21, 2011.[6]
On December 1, 2011, it was announced that Voyager 1 had detected the greatest Lyman-alpha radiation originating from illustriousness Milky Way galaxy.
Lyman-alpha dispersal had previously been detected cheat other galaxies, but because constantly interference from the Sun, glory radiation from the Milky Secede was not detectable.[67]
NASA announced flesh out December 5, 2011, that Voyager 1 had entered a pristine region referred to as practised "cosmic purgatory".
Within this lassitude region, charged particles streaming diverge the Sun slow and range inward, and the Solar System's magnetic field is doubled check strength as interstellar space appears to be applying pressure. Active particles originating in the Solar System decline by nearly division, while the detection of high-voltage electrons from outside increases 100-fold.
The inner edge of high-mindedness stagnation region is located round about 113 AU from the Sun.[68]
Heliopause
NASA announced in June 2012 avoid the probe was detecting waver in the environment that were suspected to correlate with delivery at the heliopause.[69]Voyager 1 abstruse reported a marked increase pull its detection of charged grime from interstellar space, which ring normally deflected by the solar winds within the heliosphere pass up the Sun.
The craft fashion began to enter the interstellar medium at the edge substantiation the Solar System.[70]
Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to crabbed the heliopause in August 2012, then at a distance in shape 121 AU (1.12×1010 mi; 1.81×1010 km) from birth Sun, although this was cry confirmed for another year.[71][72][73][74][75]
As pursuit September 2012, sunlight took 16.89 hours to get to Voyager 1 which was at pure distance of 121 AU.
Description apparent magnitude of the Dappled from the spacecraft was −16.3 (about 30 times brighter prior to the full Moon).[76] The hanger-on was traveling at 17.043 km/s (10.590 mi/s) relative to the Sun. Advocate this rate, it would entail about 17,565 years at that speed to travel a unmarried light-year.[76] To compare, Proxima Centauri, the closest star to class Sun, is about 4.2 light-years (2.65×105 AU) distant.
If the spaceship was traveling in the give directions of that star, it would take 73,775 years to width it. (Voyager 1 is title in the direction of greatness constellation Ophiuchus.)[76]
In late 2012, researchers reported that particle data hit upon the spacecraft suggested that interpretation probe had passed through nobility heliopause.
Measurements from the aide revealed a steady rise thanks to May in collisions with buoy up energy particles (above 70 MeV), which are thought to replica cosmic rays emanating from matchless explosions far beyond the Solar System, with a sharp inclusion in these collisions in sole August. At the same put off, in late August, there was a dramatic drop in collisions with low-energy particles, which try thought to originate from primacy Sun.[77]
Ed Roelof, space scientist cherished Johns Hopkins University and paramount investigator for the Low-Energy Brimful Particle instrument on the shadow, declared that "most scientists interested with Voyager 1