Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 10/11/2012
CLEVELAND - The Voyager 1 Spacecraft was launched 35 years ago. Since then it has made a historic interplanetary journey across our solar system, a feat never before attempted by the human race. Now, the Voyager ship has likely made history again. It has likely become the first man-made object to ever leave our solar system!
There has been no official announcement yet from NASA but new data from the spacecraft itself suggests Voyager is at the edge or is beyond the edge of the solar system we call home.
There are three tell-tale signs that the ship has left the solar system:
First, Voyager would experience an increase of high-energy cosmic rays originating from outside our system. Since last fall, the space craft has experienced a sustained increase in galactic cosmic rays.
Second, the ship would experience a drastic drop in charged particles from our sun. Between late August and early September of 2012, Voyager has witnessed a sharp drop in protons from the sun, from 25 particles per sec in late August, to about 2 particles per second by early October. That low number has remained constant since then.
The third sign that Voyager has left the solar system would be a change in direction of the magnetic field. So far, the data here is less certain. Still, scientists all agree, the Voyager Spacecraft is interacting with the heliopause, the very edge of our solar system. I would expect a comment from NASA soon.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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