September 5, 1977: NASA launches the Voyager 1 probe.
September 5, 2017: Still going strong, expected to last until 2025, our furthest space probe, and the first to reach interstellar space. Wow.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Family_portrait_%28Voyager_1%29.png)
This is the Family Portrait (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Portrait_%28Voyager%29), taken by Voyager 1, source of the Pale Blue Dot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot) image, and the last imagery returned by either Voyager.
Happy 40th, and thank you.
Them Dems just THROWING money away!
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on September 05, 2017, 10:32:31 AM
Them Dems just THROWING money away!
Considering the launch date, it would have been approved under either the Nixon or Ford administration, and given the necessary time for building and testing, almost certainly under the Nixon. Both Voyagers were originally planned to be an extension of the Mariner program, but the systems and mission scope were so far past anything attempted during Mariner it was decided to make it a new program.
At least it was appropriately named! It's like the Energizer Bunny - it just keeps going and going. Long after humanity has extincted itself, it'll still be out there, representing the best part of us.
Maybe in some far future time it'll be found by something that can appreciate what it is and wonder who made it.
Quote from: trdsf on September 05, 2017, 11:15:15 AM
Considering the launch date, it would have been approved under either the Nixon or Ford administration, and given the necessary time for building and testing, almost certainly under the Nixon. Both Voyagers were originally planned to be an extension of the Mariner program, but the systems and mission scope were so far past anything attempted during Mariner it was decided to make it a new program.
There you go, using logic and facts again.
http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2017/09/relive-the-mind-blowing-photos-from-the-voyager-missions/
We are receiving something like a trillionth of a watt from V1 and that is information. Amazing.
Quote from: Cavebear on September 07, 2017, 04:24:18 AM
We are receiving something like a trillionth of a watt from V1 and that is information. Amazing.
Information theory ... can you pick the signal out of the noise ... is 1 vs 0 distinguishable.
Quote from: Cavebear on September 07, 2017, 04:24:18 AM
We are receiving something like a trillionth of a watt from V1 and that is information. Amazing.
Requires massive observatory discs to gather that.
Quote from: Baruch on September 07, 2017, 07:03:30 AM
Information theory ... can you pick the signal out of the noise ... is 1 vs 0 distinguishable.
That is all that is required. They amazing part is like the bicycling bear. It isn't how well it does it, but that it does it at all.
Compared with most astronomical radio sources, Voyager 1 is actually comparatively bright. It looks like this to the Very Long Baseline Array (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/multimedia/pia17047.html):
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Voyager_1_Radio_Signal_21_Feb_2013.jpg)
The oblong shape is due to the array configuration, not anything inherent in the signal, and is about half an arc-second wide -- half the width of a penny, seen from 4km away.
And keep in mind, Voyager is using technology that's over 40 years old. That's positively Jurassic in computer terms.
Quote from: trdsf on September 07, 2017, 10:35:09 AM
Compared with most astronomical radio sources, Voyager 1 is actually comparatively bright. It looks like this to the Very Long Baseline Array (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/multimedia/pia17047.html):
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Voyager_1_Radio_Signal_21_Feb_2013.jpg)
The oblong shape is due to the array configuration, not anything inherent in the signal, and is about half an arc-second wide -- half the width of a penny, seen from 4km away.
And keep in mind, Voyager is using technology that's over 40 years old. That's positively Jurassic in computer terms.
It can't still be visible. If it were, we could see every 2M NEO!
Quote from: Cavebear on September 07, 2017, 09:03:02 PM
It can't still be visible. If it were, we could see every 2M NEO!
That's how it looks in the radio spectrum, not an actual visible light image. :)
Quote from: trdsf on September 08, 2017, 12:34:43 PM
That's how it looks in the radio spectrum, not an actual visible light image. :)
Oops, OK. I appreciate the explanation. There I go being literal again.
Quote from: Cavebear on September 11, 2017, 05:44:17 AM
Oops, OK. I appreciate the explanation. There I go being literal again.
We literally expect it from you now.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on September 16, 2017, 09:31:12 AM
We literally expect it from you now.
Figuratively speaking, anyway.
Quote from: trdsf on September 17, 2017, 12:29:19 AM
Figuratively speaking, anyway.
That figure was ate quite a while ago.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on September 16, 2017, 09:31:12 AM
We literally expect it from you now.
Literal facts are sort of a focus of mine. Beats the hell out of superstitions.
Quote from: Cavebear on September 19, 2017, 04:03:50 AM
Literal facts are sort of a focus of mine. Beats the hell out of superstitions.
No nuance for you ;-) That and I hope you break a mirror, it would serve you right ;-)
Quote from: Baruch on September 19, 2017, 10:26:09 PM
No nuance for you ;-) That and I hope you break a mirror, it would serve you right ;-)
I broke a mirror once. I picked up the pieces carefully and wrapped them up in many layers of newspaper and set it in a box in the trash. No apparent change happened afterwards.
Quote from: Cavebear on September 23, 2017, 04:39:00 AM
I broke a mirror once. I picked up the pieces carefully and wrapped them up in many layers of newspaper and set it in a box in the trash. No apparent change happened afterwards.
You have to do it at midnight at a crossroads under a full moon. Don't forget to walk widdershins three times or you've wasted all that work.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on September 23, 2017, 07:55:34 AM
You have to do it at midnight at a crossroads under a full moon. Don't forget to walk widdershins three times or you've wasted all that work.
Well, actually, I should have hidden by the front steps and flung the pieces like ninja stars at the deer eating my hostas. But you never get those good ideas until it is too late.