I believe it was Arthur C Clarke who first used the phrase “something wonderful is going to happen.” Well, it was either him or someone else. Anyway, something wonderful IS going to happen.
Now, before you rush off to find that lottery ticket from last weekend that you still haven’t checked (why do people do that), this particular wonder is concerned with humanity, history, expolration … and some squiggly lines on a graph. But since we’re all buzzed about your lottery ticket, go check, we’ll wait.
No luck? Rats. I guess the party’s off.
As a consolation, lets get back to that wondrous thing.
Firstly, the humanity bit is just us. All things considered, we’re a nosey bunch. Whenever someone discovers anything, someone else has to say “yes, but why?” and the whole process starts again. Like it or loath it, it’s the way we are, so just put up with it.
Secondly, history. In this case, the history of two plucky NASA space probes. (Note: plucky is a British term, meaning “no-one expected it to work, but it did, so now we’re going to act all smug about it”). This particular pair of plucksters were called Voyager I and II. These probes were intended to visit Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Nepture. History hasn’t been kind to this pair. Things got off to a confusing start when Voyager II was launched before Voyager I. Lovers of all things ordinal were further enraged when Voyager I arrived at Jupiter before Voyager II. The final straw was when the pair arrived at Saturn. Ground controllers changed Voyager I’s course to examine the moon Titan, a maneuver which pointed the probe out of the plane of the ecliptic. Even if you’re not sure what what the term ecliptic means, if you ever find yourself piloting a deep space craft that’s low on fuel, water, oxygen, or moist towelettes – DON’T LEAVE THE PLANE OF THE ECLIPTIC. Certainly not if you’re hoping to visit (say) Starbucks at some point in your future.
After the gas giants, the Voyager probes had one last trick up their exploring sleeve, they were going to leave the solar system. Actually, they were going to leave whether we wanted them to or not, it’s pretty hard to stop when you’re doing 10 miles every second.
This last part really went to people’s heads. If these things weren’t going to stop, who knows where they might go? Ex-hippies everywhere wondered into who’s hands these wonders would fall. In a grand gesture they decided the probes should carry a gold audio-visual disk with pictures of the Earth, humans, animals, whale sounds, babies crying, and Chuck Berry belting out Johnny B Goode. Quite why crying babies are a good introduction to the human race, I don’t know. At least alien-kind can be grateful the Mammas and Poppas got voted out.
In aeons to come, when this “treasure” lands on some distant planet, it’ll set back the evolutionary development of that life form by centuries. The biggest laugh is the fact it’s an “audio-visual disk.” I mean, you can’t even play your old VHS tapes anymore, let alone buy an “audio-visual” disk player. How the ding-dong some bunch of aliens are going to get one of these things, I don’t know. Maybe they’ll just all hold hands and sing “kumbaya” until one drops from the heavens.
So, if they aliens aren’t going to do so well out of Voyager, what’s this wonderful thing that’s going to happen?
I’m glad you asked, because Voyager I going to leave the solar system. In fact, it might have already left. There’s no big signpost with “Now Leaving The Solar System” written on it to be sure, but there are clues. The three things that indicate something has left the solar system are generally held to be:
1) Rapid increase in cosmic rays not originating from the sun.
2) A drop in charged particles originating from the sun.
3) A change in the direction of the magnetic field.
The fourth indication, the final cessation of robocalls from dodgey timeshare operators, is still not completely agreed upon, largely because of the belief that these calls are a universal constant.
Over the last few months, NASA has reported an increase in galactic cosmic rays hitting Voyager (ie stuff that didn’t come from the sun).
There has also been a dramatic drop in charged particles from the sun.
The magnetic field question has yet to be answered, but either way, Voyager has been through an incredible change in conditions over the last few months, it’s clearly interacting with something.
So, thirty five years after its launch, in the most inhospitable environment, Voyager is still sending data, responding to commands, and uncovering the universe as it’s originators intended. It’s an awesome scientific and technological achievement, and one that NASA can be throughly proud of.
And for us humans? Well, you can debate the data, but Elvis can finally move over, Chuck Berry has left the solar system!
Cheers!
(Images courtesy of NASA)
*Cough* Thirty-five years? Really?
Well, I’ve been at it a bit longer and continue to find new centers of gravity. So, I guess I’m not one to comment on the time frame.
In terms of “setting you straight” (as your comment prompt states), I got nothing. (but poor grammar)
The saga for the handlers (and subsequent paths) of Voyager I & II sound a bit like how it feels to teach a newbie to dance a proper Texas two-step.
Yes, Nigel. I suspect you don’t yet know how.
Yes, Nigel, I suspect you have no interest in learning.
Just as well. When my patience wears thin, I’m prone to send dance partners to another solar system.
Cheer(io)s!
And, SKA-WEET! It’s nice to have you back.
Hi Gloria.
Centers of gravity? Humm … does everything revolve around you in your world?
Yes, I’ve never learnt the two step. Yes, I have no interest in learning. And yes, I really can’t call myself a Texans … maybe in another 35 years, who knows?
Cheers!
When one is trying to balance on one leg and do other funky moves at the same time in a Yoga class…
Yes. At those moments, my personal center of gravity revolves around me. Otherwise, I collapse in an untidy heap on the floor.
LOL. I meant to say “doesn’t everything revolve around you.” I’d be a heap on the floor at yoga for sure 🙂
Cheers!
Nigel, you’re magnificent. Only you could make the story of the Voyagers this fascinating and funny. And I’m still snickering over the “final cessation of robocalls from dodgey timeshare operators”. I’m pretty sure even leaving the boundaries of the known universe wouldn’t be sufficient to evade those.
Welcome back! 🙂
Thanks, Diane. Magnificent? Wow! I really must show my wife your comment. In fact, I might just bring it up at my next pay review as well! Sad to say robocalls are here to stay. Well, unless the presidential election gets overturned and I get in as a write-in. Yeah, don’t hold your breath.
Cheers!
I’m so glad you’re back! How did you manage to hack into your blog again? And your post for your return couldn’t be better. Voyager I and the Hubble Telescope are both NASA wonders. But as for the technology “boasted” aboard Voyager, well, it’s not going to do much for the Earth Tourism Board across the universe. But maybe the aliens will give us credit for being plucky!
Hi Madame
Thanks, it’s good to be back. As you know, my time in the blogging wilderness was a little longer than I expected, more on that in an upcoming post. I’m sure we rate highly for pluck in the alien tourist’s mind, but Douglas Adams probably had it right when he labelled us “mostly harmless.”
Cheers!
Wait! I understand one of the Voyagers is travelling to a black hole that erupts next to an all-mechanical life form who will help Voyager to return to Earth and make contact with its creator in the form of a sexy bald lady…
Hi Alex. Wow. Great news, thanks. I’ll be waiting for the arrival of a sexy bald lady over the weekend. As long as she isn’t followed my some rampaging lifeforms!
Cheers!
Oops! Mine was a reference to that Star Trek movie where a menacing alien named V’ger turned out to be a pimped-out-to-the-max Voyager 2. Maybe I’m the only one around here who have seen the movie?
LOL! I almost remembered that … but didn’t. You might have to be the Star Trek consultant!
Live long and prosper!
You means these things have been up there half my life? Wow! You’d think they’d be out of breath after running that fast for that long.
Hi David
Yeah, they’ve been going a long time. Out of breath? These guys have 3 radioactive cores to keep them going. I think they’ve got enough power to last until 2025. Which is amazing when you consider every iPhone ever made will be dead by then!
Cheers!
What would be a truly wonderful thing would be if the political calls stopped… oh well, I guess I’ll just have to deal with them for another month! Hopefully the aliens like retro rock!
Hi Jennette
I’m not sure what is says about me, but I haven’t had a call from either party. There must be a bug in their software. What a shame. I’m sure aliens will be into 50s rock after they figure out how to play the disk. Either that of it’ll become part of some revered part of a terrible ritual. Let’s hope for music!
Cheers!
Hard to image that something create with 35-year-old technology made it that far. Image what they could do with modern technology. Have to say, I nearly choked on my breakfast over the audio-visual disk.
Hi Marcy
Yes, both Voyagers are still going. I wonder if modern technology could do much better.
Sorry about the breakfast. Don’t worry about this disk too much. It’s 40,000 years before a close approach with another star, so those aliens have a while to get their act together. NASA did actually do it’s best to send the disk with both the instructions and bits to play it, but I keep thinking of the success rate of assembling IKEA furniture without a couple of trips to the hardware store. http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html
Your dialog posts are helping me a lot – thanks 🙂
Cheers!
Thanks for the chuckles, Nigel! And for the science info about the Voyagers.
You’re welcome, Janet 🙂