# Ladies and Gentlemen, Voyager has Left the Building **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 5, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082 "2012-12-05T16:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/1 "2012-12-05T16:51:48Z")
Apparently Voyager has left the Solar System. I don’t know who gets to decide that, or how, or exactly what demarcation line you use, but it’s out there. 11 billion lmiles out, or 17 light-hours: [http://news.yahoo.com/voyager-1-probe-leaving-solar-system-reaches-magnetic-023825204.html](http://news.yahoo.com/voyager-1-probe-leaving-solar-system-reaches-magnetic-023825204.html) We’re well on our way to STMP. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/2 "2012-12-05T17:42:21Z")
NASA gets to decide. Voyager has been measuring many things as it travels and they’re monitoring to see how far out the various influences of the sun reach. From the article, the probe passed the limit of the solar wind in 2004. (Well, the straight portion - there were turbulent solar particles farther out.) It’s now in a transition zone which they think marks the edge of the sun’s magnetic influence. Per the article, they’re near, but not yet in interstellar space. > [@](#): > > Scientists believe the direction of the magnetic field lines will shift when the probe finally enters interstellar space. > > Other clues that Voyager has reached interstellar space could be the detection of low-energy cosmic rays and a dramatic tapering of the number of solar particles, Stone said. Here’s [another article](http://scienceblog.com/58278/nasas-voyager-1-cruising-on-a-magnetic-highway/). Here’s the [NASA press release](http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/news/voyager_1_new_region.html)that they both come from. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/3 "2012-12-05T17:46:37Z")
I’m really glad this didn’t turn out to be a thread telling us that something had happened to **Voyager** the poster. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/4 "2012-12-05T18:05:17Z")
Is NASA still in communication with Voyager? If so, how long can that go on? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/5 "2012-12-05T18:09:17Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Apparently Voyager has left the Solar System. I don’t know who gets to decide that, or how, or exactly what demarcation line you use, but it’s out there. 11 billion lmiles out, or 17 light-hours: > > [http://news.yahoo.com/voyager-1-probe-leaving-solar-system-reaches-magnetic-023825204.html](http://news.yahoo.com/voyager-1-probe-leaving-solar-system-reaches-magnetic-023825204.html) > We’re well on our way to STMP. Vger does not understand! ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/6 "2012-12-05T18:16:58Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I’m really glad this didn’t turn out to be a thread telling us that something had happened to **Voyager** the poster. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/7 "2012-12-05T18:24:54Z")
Give that probe a peanut butter and banana sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/8 "2012-12-05T19:23:46Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Is NASA still in communication with Voyager? If so, how long can that go on? I haven’t seen how long they estimate that it can continue, but they’re still hearing both of them. That has got to be one dwindlingly small signal by now. Well, two dwindlingly small signals. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/9 "2012-12-05T19:30:24Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I’m really glad this didn’t turn out to be a thread telling us that something had happened to **Voyager** the poster. How can you be sure it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/10 "2012-12-05T19:59:28Z")
This will end badly, mark my words. We shouldn’t do anything to tell them we are here until we are capable of defeating them if they decide to come knocking. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/11 "2012-12-05T20:12:05Z")
Because rolling a marble into the door way (not even onto the front porch let alone our own yard) let’s the next town know we’re here. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/12 "2012-12-05T20:15:10Z")
Congratulations, we’ve sent something 1/2200th of the distance to Proxima Centauri, the nearest star. Except in a different direction. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/13 "2012-12-05T20:19:12Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Congratulations, we’ve sent something 1/2200th of the distance to Proxima Centauri, the nearest star. Except in a different direction. Oops. Is it too late to turn this thing around? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/14 "2012-12-05T20:20:17Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > This will end badly, mark my words. We shouldn’t do anything to tell them we are here until we are capable of defeating them if they decide to come knocking. Not to worry. I’m armed with a board with a nail in it. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/15 "2012-12-05T20:32:34Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > We’re well on our way to STMP. Don’t they need to build four more Voyagers first? ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/16 "2012-12-05T20:34:40Z")
What if we had to stop Voyager? With today’s best tech, how long would it take for a probe launched today to catch up to it? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/17 "2012-12-05T20:35:01Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > We’re well on our way to STMP. We’ve had email for years. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/18 "2012-12-05T20:38:06Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > We’ve had email for years. Yeah, but Voyager never returns my emails. Stuck up bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/19 "2012-12-05T20:59:36Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > What if we had to stop Voyager? With today’s best tech, how long would it take for a probe launched today to catch up to it? There’s no conceivable reason that we would ever need to stop it. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082/20 "2012-12-05T21:06:49Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > What if we had to stop Voyager? With today’s best tech, how long would it take for a probe launched today to catch up to it? Depends. What size board, and what size nail? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-and-gentlemen-voyager-has-left-the-building/643082.md?page=2)