Thirty-five years after launch, Voyager 1 is currently 18.5 billion km from Earth. The probe is still sampling the environment and communicating (a 17 hour journey) with NASA/JPL. Voyager 1 is at the very edge of the solar system, i.e., the heliosphereic boundary.
Its being reported that energetic particles originating in interstellar space are on the increase while energetic particles emanating from the Sun are steadily decreasing (-1000x).
Field lines are currently east/west but are expected to orient north/south at the breakthrough point. In short, Voyager1 is on the cusp of breaking into true interstellar space.
Theoretically, Voyager1 has enough power to continue transmitting into the next decade. It is not clear what Voyager 1 will encounter next, as extensive computer modeling has thus far been inconclusive.
Its being reported that energetic particles originating in interstellar space are on the increase while energetic particles emanating from the Sun are steadily decreasing (-1000x).
Field lines are currently east/west but are expected to orient north/south at the breakthrough point. In short, Voyager1 is on the cusp of breaking into true interstellar space.
Theoretically, Voyager1 has enough power to continue transmitting into the next decade. It is not clear what Voyager 1 will encounter next, as extensive computer modeling has thus far been inconclusive.
here are two articles. Enjoy
Voyager 1 Discovers Bizarre and Baffling Region at Edge of Solar System | Wired Science | Wired.com
Voyager 1 is going, going, but not quite gone from the Solar System : Nature News Blog
