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Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 20, 2022
Question

Voyager 1 Space Probe is Confused ("Where Am I?")

  • May 20, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 296 views

The Voyager 1 space probe appears to be confused about its location (msn.com)

 

Although Voyager 1 and it's sister probe Voyager 2 are still strong and sending messages about their locations back to Earth, the data we're receiving from Voyager 1 is confused and jumbled.  However, Voyager 2 appears to be fine. 

 

The nearly 45-year old space drones are at the outer reaches of our solar system in interstellar space  -- a high-radiation region that no spacecraft have flown in before. 

 

Images received from Voyager 1 & Voyager 2

https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/images-voyager-took/

 

Images on the golden record (aka "Messages from the People on Planet Earth")

https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/images-on-the-golden-record/

 

Poor Voyager 1.  😢

 

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    2 replies

    PaintedKitty
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 25, 2022

    Oh bummer. That's really too bad. Hopefully if it ever goes silent it won't be too damaged or too far away someday be repaired or salvaged by future astronauts.  But then maybe again it might someday become that crazy object in a certain StarTrek movie. 😜😁

    Oh and oh yeah, saw a shooting star earlier tonight. Lasted a few good seconds before it winked out of existence. Always so cool.

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 25, 2022
    quote

    saw a shooting star earlier tonight.

    ============

    An XXL asteroid is heading close to Earth's orbit on May 27 (2 days away).  Shooting stars could be fragments from that massive object. 

    https://www.space.com/asteroid-encounter-7335-1989-JA

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 20, 2022

    I wonder if Pixar could help?

     

    WALL·E (2008) - IMDb