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The little probe that could

Started by trdsf, September 05, 2017, 08:49:02 AM

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trdsf

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.



This is the Family Portrait, taken by Voyager 1, source of the Pale Blue Dot image, and the last imagery returned by either Voyager.

Happy 40th, and thank you.
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Gawdzilla Sama

Them Dems just THROWING money away!
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

trdsf

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.
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Unbeliever

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.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Gawdzilla Sama

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.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers


Cavebear

We are receiving something like a trillionth of a watt from V1 and that is information.  Amazing. 
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Baruch

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.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Sal1981

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.

Cavebear

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.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

trdsf

Compared with most astronomical radio sources, Voyager 1 is actually comparatively bright.  It looks like this to the Very Long Baseline Array:



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.
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Cavebear

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:



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!
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

trdsf

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.  :)
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Cavebear

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.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Gawdzilla Sama

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.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers