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Not sure what "meaningfully" is supposed to mean here, but both Voyager probes have gone passed the heliopause and are outside our solar system from that perspe

Not sure what "meaningfully" is supposed to mean here, but both Voyager probes have gone passed the heliopause and are outside our solar system from that perspective.

lazide 3y ago
"However, if we define our solar system as the Sun and everything that primarily orbits the Sun, Voyager 1 will remain within the confines of the solar system until it emerges from the Oort cloud in another 14,000 to 28,000 years." [https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/voyager-1/in-depth/ https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/voyager-1/in-depth/] "The twin Voyagers are the only man-made objects to have entered interstellar space. However, while they have left the heliosphere, they have not yet left the boundary of the Solar System which is considered to be the outer edge of the Oort Cloud." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere#Heliopause https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere#Heliopause] [https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-voyager-2-probe-enters-interstellar-space https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-voyager-2-probe-en...] It's still in the area of things that primarily orbit the sun, even if it is no longer in the 'atmosphere' or 'shade' of the Sun (aka the heliopause, which is what was being used for PR purposes). And it's nowhere near anything which isn't orbiting the sun, and nowhere near 'not being in' the area of things orbiting the sun. So meaningfully, it's still in the solar system, and will be for a very long time. It's just out of the nice part. Distance wise, Voyager 1 (the furthest) is ~ 22 light hours away, or .02% of a light year - after travelling for 45 years. Proxima Centauri, the closest known star to us is 4.25 light years away. It would take ~ 73,000 years at Voyagers blistering pace (38,000 mph) to reach it, and there is essentially zero chance we could keep contact with it or it would be functional even 1/10th of that time - it's RTG is already nearly dead, and with a ~ 87 year half life, it would be a miracle if it even lasted another 50-100 years.

Not sure what "meaningfully" is supposed to mean here, but both Voyager probes have gone passed the heliopause and are outside our solar system from that perspective.

lazide 3y ago

"However, if we define our solar system as the Sun and everything that primarily orbits the Sun, Voyager 1 will remain within the confines of the solar system until it emerges from the Oort cloud in another 14,000 to 28,000 years." [https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/voyager-1/in-depth/ https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/voyager-1/in-depth/] "The twin Voyagers are the only man-made objects to have entered interstellar space. However, while they have left the heliosphere, they have not yet left the boundary of the Solar System which is considered to be the outer edge of the Oort Cloud." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere#Heliopause https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere#Heliopause] [https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-voyager-2-probe-enters-interstellar-space https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-voyager-2-probe-en...] It's still in the area of things that primarily orbit the sun, even if it is no longer in the 'atmosphere' or 'shade' of the Sun (aka the heliopause, which is what was being used for PR purposes). And it's nowhere near anything which isn't orbiting the sun, and nowhere near 'not being in' the area of things orbiting the sun. So meaningfully, it's still in the solar system, and will be for a very long time. It's just out of the nice part. Distance wise, Voyager 1 (the furthest) is ~ 22 light hours away, or .02% of a light year - after travelling for 45 years. Proxima Centauri, the closest known star to us is 4.25 light years away. It would take ~ 73,000 years at Voyagers blistering pace (38,000 mph) to reach it, and there is essentially zero chance we could keep contact with it or it would be functional even 1/10th of that time - it's RTG is already nearly dead, and with a ~ 87 year half life, it would be a miracle if it even lasted another 50-100 years.