5 ms·

Good video on the topic - there is a sun sensor on the dish - looks for the brightest object and orients to face it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbsHgE89qO4

by sqrt_1 3y ago

Good video on the topic - there is a sun sensor on the dish - looks for the brightest object and orients to face it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbsHgE89qO4&t=340s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbsHgE89qO4&t=340s

albert_e 3y ago
Superb! Thanks for the link.
superb_dev 3y ago
For all the distance Voyager has covered, our Sun is still the brightest object in its view? That’s incredible
- BenjiWiebe 3y ago
  Approx one light-day out. The nearest star is 4.2 light-years out. Doesn't even matter if voyager is heading towards it or not, it's still crazy far away. Voyager is still on our doorstep as far as interstellar distances go.
- Rebelgecko 3y ago
  The space between stars is truly immense. The sun is still 2,000 times closer to Voyager 2 than the next star
qingcharles 3y ago
How bright does the Sun appear compared to other stars at a distance of 32Bn km? Here is a photo from Voyager 1 at a distance of 4Bn miles: https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00450 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00450
- Laremere 3y ago
  Trying to see if I can work this out. Voyager 2 is 160.7 AU. Light falls off in brightness to the distance squared. So the sun will be 160.7^2 = 25824.5 times fainter for Voyager 2 than it is from Earth. (Since Earth is at 1AU) The apparent magnitude of the sun from Earth is -26.72. Each step in magnitude is multiplying by 2.512. (2.512^5 = 100, so 5 steps of magnitude is a factor of 100). log2.512(25824.5) = 11.0295. 11.0295 + -26.72 = -15.6905. The apparent magnitude of the full moon is only −12.74 (lower is brighter). So for Voyager 2 the sun is still several times brighter than we see the moon. The sun is still many many times brighter than the next brightest star in the sky, Sirius, which has an apparent magnitude of −1.46. Sources: Voyager 2 distance is https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/ https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/ all else is Wikipedia.

by sqrt_1 3y ago

albert_e 3y ago

Superb! Thanks for the link.

superb_dev 3y ago

For all the distance Voyager has covered, our Sun is still the brightest object in its view? That’s incredible

BenjiWiebe 3y ago
Approx one light-day out. The nearest star is 4.2 light-years out. Doesn't even matter if voyager is heading towards it or not, it's still crazy far away. Voyager is still on our doorstep as far as interstellar distances go.
Rebelgecko 3y ago
The space between stars is truly immense. The sun is still 2,000 times closer to Voyager 2 than the next star

qingcharles 3y ago

How bright does the Sun appear compared to other stars at a distance of 32Bn km? Here is a photo from Voyager 1 at a distance of 4Bn miles: https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00450 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00450

Laremere 3y ago
Trying to see if I can work this out. Voyager 2 is 160.7 AU. Light falls off in brightness to the distance squared. So the sun will be 160.7^2 = 25824.5 times fainter for Voyager 2 than it is from Earth. (Since Earth is at 1AU) The apparent magnitude of the sun from Earth is -26.72. Each step in magnitude is multiplying by 2.512. (2.512^5 = 100, so 5 steps of magnitude is a factor of 100). log2.512(25824.5) = 11.0295. 11.0295 + -26.72 = -15.6905. The apparent magnitude of the full moon is only −12.74 (lower is brighter). So for Voyager 2 the sun is still several times brighter than we see the moon. The sun is still many many times brighter than the next brightest star in the sky, Sirius, which has an apparent magnitude of −1.46. Sources: Voyager 2 distance is https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/ https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/ all else is Wikipedia.