cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (08/29/89)
In article <4255@utastro.UUCP>, terry@utastro.UUCP (Terry Hancock) writes: > > # #The answer was that in 8,000 years it will fly by Barnard's Star, in 20,000 or # #so it will pass Proxima Centauri, and then the Oort cloud. # # # Okay, so this is completely wrong. The announcer probably # confused talk about how long the probe would take to get to those # stars IF it were headed toward them. As for the Oort cloud, well, # they'll have to fend for themselves on that one. # # My QUESTION: # What is the outbound assymptotic trajectory of Voyager as it # leaves the solar system? By this, I mean which coordinates # (Equatorial, Ecliptic, or Galactic) will it approach asymptotically # as viewed from Earth? # # I heard that it would pass a nearby star within ~1 ly, which # star is that? (clearly, the answer to the above will answer that # question in itself). # # Terry Hancock This is a subject near and dear to me. I asked this question in 1975, when I was working on Voyager. The scientist I asked said, "I'll get back to you on it." He never did. Most recently, I have read that the nearest star will be 28 Wolf, in around 40,000 years, and it will approach within a light year of it. -- Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer William Bennett: The best argument yet against philosopher-kings. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer? You must be kidding! No company would hold opinions like mine!
tneff@bfmny0.UUCP (Tom Neff) (08/29/89)
Casey and others have it right. The superficially silly assertion that FIRST Voyager will make its closest approach to Barnard's Star and THEN it will pass through the Oort cloud, is trivially true because Voyager is hardly heading towards Barnard's star at all! Its technically closest approach to BS will occur about 1ly out, and the Oort cloud, if it exists, is about 1.25ly out. (If you believe current thinking anyway.) The only "real" approach on the books is with a little red dwarf called Ross 248 and that's 40k years away, with a 1.7ly approach. If humanity is still around 40k years from now, all space within 100ly of earth will probably be subdivided 3 dimensionally for condos and Voyager will be netted and braked and warehoused for the public safety. :-) Seriously, all of this is moot. The sole remaining event of interest is the heliopause encounter, and that is of great interest indeed so it's vital that power conservation take hold once Neptune dwindles to impracticable viewing size. The RTG decay figures appear to make it a race between crossing the solar wind boundary -- a vital shot at understanding the nature of the interstellar medium -- and underwattage fatal to transmission. I predict that if the funding holds, the struggle to win the heliopause race will rival all the behind the scenes Voyager heroics heretofore. And I renew the call for MEDALS FOR THE VOYAGER TEAM! Let's have a goddamn "phone tree alert" about something REAL! -- "We walked on the moon -- (( Tom Neff you be polite" )) tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET
barron@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Daniel P. Barron) (08/29/89)
In article <62446@philabs.Philips.Com> rfc@briar.philips.com.UUCP (Robert Casey) writes: >In article <4255@utastro.UUCP> terry@astro.UUCP (Terry Hancock) writes: >>>The answer was that in 8,000 years it will fly by Barnard's Star, in 20,000 or >>>so it will pass Proxima Centauri, and then the Oort cloud. >I saw in the Planetary Report a diagram of sorts that described some >"approaches" of some stars by Voyager 2. It was something like "When Voyager >2 is 1/4 ly from the Sun, it makes its closest approach to (some star) and it >comes as "close" as 4 lys. Not exactly a near miss! Am I completely crazy or do I remember someone on "Neptune All Night" saying that Voyager two will (eventually) pass within a light year of Sirius? Again, not exactly a near miss, but I was wondering if anyone else heard this. While somewhat interesting, Neptune All Night did have a large amount of specious commentary, so this factlet could be wrong. Did anyone else watch the show? It originated at the studios of (TA DA!) my very own PBS station, WHYY in Philadelphia. They showed "real time" images coming in from Neptune on the night of closest approach. Most of the images were only 6 minutes old! (i.e. received 6 minutes ago, sent 4 hours, 12 minutes ago) Of course, WHYY took the oppurtunity to interrupt every 20 minutes to tell you that "you can become part of history by calling 1-800-228-1234 and pledging your support to channel 12!" db ________________________________Daniel Barron__________________________________ ______________________________________ ________________________________________ "There are four types of homicide: | E-mail: barron@eniac.seas.upenn.edu felonious, excusable, justifiable | barron@wharton.upenn.edu and praiseworthy." --Ambrose Bierce | barron@dacth01.bitnet ______________________________________|________________________________________