What happens if Voyager decides to go back home?
Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
111–120 of 411 posts
Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
#112We are flying "faster" on earth.
You often hear about the fatality rate per 100 million or 1 billion passenger miles in transportation statistics, but over the last 15 years, U.S. airlines have averaged less than 1 fatality per passenger light-year traveled
Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
#113Wow, this gives a reflection about our future. The nearest potentially habitable planet known is Proxima Centauri b, which orbits the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri about 4 light‑years from Earth (at least it is in a habitable zone of its star) [1]. So we don't have a choice actually except protecting and make sure our planet survives. That's regardless if it really would be able to support life as we know or not (p…
Gliese 710 will pass 0.17 light years from us in a bit over 1M years. If we can colonize mars and build some infrastructure in the solar system by then, we should have an OK shot at getting something there to stay. It'll be 62 light days away.
Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
#114Wow, this gives a reflection about our future. The nearest potentially habitable planet known is Proxima Centauri b, which orbits the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri about 4 light‑years from Earth (at least it is in a habitable zone of its star) [1]. So we don't have a choice actually except protecting and make sure our planet survives. That's regardless if it really would be able to support life as we know or not (p…
I have an optimistic view that building underground facilities on Mars/Lunar might not be a far-stretched idea. But I have never done any research into the idea so not whether it works or not. Basically, reducing costs and tech requirements by going underground (since it is underground we do not need to terraform the planet, and it is less likely to leak oxygen to external environment). Digging dirts and stones is a…
Mars is less habitable than the least habitable state we could let the earth in without being extinct. This is silly.
Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well I guess real end of the world will come around when we crash with Andromeda.
When Andromeda and the Milky Way collide there will be no planets or solar systems that collide from either system. A fascinating fact in in own right, it's simply due to the scale of the galaxies and that they are mostly composed of empty space.
Unless we find the means to manipulate our own star or the orbit of Earth we most likely will not be around at that time. The sun's increased luminosity will boil us way earlier.
Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
Based on what? That we will never be able to make probes travelling faster than ~17km/s (relative to the Sun) that will eventually reach and overtake Voyager 1? I certainly wouldn't bet against technological progress, and I say that as a complete doomer.
Well voyager depended on a solar system alignment that only happens every 175 years(?) so it'd be a while before we get that same advantage again. The longer it takes the further of a head start voyager gets?
That alignment is only necessary to do the Grand Tour, to visit all four outer planets in one mission. Voyager 1 actually didn't do the Grand Tour, it only visited Jupiter and Saturn, you're thinking of Voyager 2. This alignment is also not even necessary to attain the highest speed, Voyager 1 is even faster than Voyager 2.
A flyby of both Jupiter and Saturn can be done every two decades or so (the synodic period is 19.6 years)
Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
#117We are flying "faster" on earth. You often hear about the fatality rate per 100 million or 1 billion passenger miles in transportation statistics, but over the last 15 years, U.S. airlines have averaged less than 1 fatality per passenger light-year traveled https://x.com/RyanRadia/status/1764868263903723874
Technically when tweeted for the given selective timespan, but no longer true since the crash this year in DC.
Still, mind blowing. When fact checking this I learned we went over 2 passenger light years worth of airline travel with no fatalities during that time frame. Incredible safety record. Real shame this year has been so terrible for our reputation.
Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have an optimistic view that building underground facilities on Mars/Lunar might not be a far-stretched idea. But I have never done any research into the idea so not whether it works or not. Basically, reducing costs and tech requirements by going underground (since it is underground we do not need to terraform the planet, and it is less likely to leak oxygen to external environment). Digging dirts and stones is a…
Mars is less habitable than the least habitable state we could let the earth in without being extinct. This is silly.
Almost understating the point if anything. Mars is less habitable than the bottom of the Marina trench. An environment that could kill every person on earth in a millisecond.
Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
#119"is about"
"On November 2026"
I know it's like a nanosecond in astronomical time, but come on...
Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth
#120If Voyager could stay operational and keep its speed of ~61,000 km/hr, it would reach the nearest star (Proxima Centauri) in about 72,000 years. My mind understands the numbers, but can't grasp them.
No, it would no reach that star. It is not aimed at it but at the constellation Ophiuchus.