voyager 1
Sep 14th 2013, 2:50 am
#16
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Re: voyager 1
Probably a more interesting question for alpha centauri, given its actually part of a triple star system with orbits for the main pair at roughly the distance of Pluto.
In general their heliopause distances are probably comparable to the sun's, or maybe slightly more (alpha centauri is bigger than the sun). That leaves a lot of space inbetween. If you assume that it has an oort cloud similar to the sun, then you'd have:
<---1 light year---> 
<--------2 light years --------> <---1 light year ---> 
Sun ...................... Oort Cloud ................................. Oort Cloud ..............Alpha Centauri
Or maybe the 2 light year space between the edges of the cloud are filled with such debris where the gravitational binding gradually switches between star systems. Nobody knows.
In general their heliopause distances are probably comparable to the sun's, or maybe slightly more (alpha centauri is bigger than the sun). That leaves a lot of space inbetween. If you assume that it has an oort cloud similar to the sun, then you'd have:
<---1 light year---> <--------2 light years --------> <---1 light year ---> Sun ...................... Oort Cloud ................................. Oort Cloud ..............Alpha Centauri
Or maybe the 2 light year space between the edges of the cloud are filled with such debris where the gravitational binding gradually switches between star systems. Nobody knows.
Sep 14th 2013, 3:42 am
#17
Daffyd Duck
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Paradise
Posts: 5,636
Re: voyager 1
Probably a more interesting question for alpha centauri, given its actually part of a triple star system with orbits for the main pair at roughly the distance of Pluto.
In general their heliopause distances are probably comparable to the sun's, or maybe slightly more (alpha centauri is bigger than the sun). That leaves a lot of space inbetween. If you assume that it has an oort cloud similar to the sun, then you'd have:
<---1 light year---> <--------2 light years --------> <---1 light year --->
Sun ...................... Oort Cloud ................................. Oort Cloud ..............Alpha Centauri
Or maybe the 2 light year space between the edges of the cloud are filled with such debris where the gravitational binding gradually switches between star systems. Nobody knows.
In general their heliopause distances are probably comparable to the sun's, or maybe slightly more (alpha centauri is bigger than the sun). That leaves a lot of space inbetween. If you assume that it has an oort cloud similar to the sun, then you'd have:
<---1 light year---> <--------2 light years --------> <---1 light year ---> Sun ...................... Oort Cloud ................................. Oort Cloud ..............Alpha Centauri
Or maybe the 2 light year space between the edges of the cloud are filled with such debris where the gravitational binding gradually switches between star systems. Nobody knows.
or will there be a tug-o-war between the sun and the nearest star
Sep 14th 2013, 4:08 am
#18
snɐןɔ ʎʇıuɐs
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,558
Re: voyager 1
Would it, would it really?
No, they wouldn't get to Alpha Centauri before 70000 CE, and IIRC the direction of Voyagers 1 & 2 isn't towards Alpha Centauri anyway. Voyager 1 went 'up' out of the ecliptic (eg northern hemisphere) towards Ophiuchus and Voyager 2 stayed mainly in the ecliptic, towards Sagittarius. Neither therefore went south - towards Alpha Centauri.
See http://www.heavens-above.com/SolarEscape.aspx
And with the slow escape speeds of either craft, the stars aren't going to be in their current position when they get there anyway.
See http://www.heavens-above.com/SolarEscape.aspx
And with the slow escape speeds of either craft, the stars aren't going to be in their current position when they get there anyway.
Sep 14th 2013, 4:15 am
#19
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2013
Location: Old Bar Beach, NSW near Taree
Posts: 372
Re: voyager 1
By the time it get as far as Alpha Centauri RDA will have already strip mined Pandora for its Unobtanium. Any remaining Navii will no doubt give it the finger as it passes by.
Sep 15th 2013, 1:13 pm
#24
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Canberra
Posts: 8,378
Re: voyager 1
Had to laugh at the mention of Oort clouds back there - I read that as Ort clouds and for us stitchers Orts are the little bits of yarn that get snipped off when you get to the end to your thread - some of us have Ort boxes (to be shared with birds at nesting time, often) so the thought of the sun on an Ort cloud was just precious - then I noticed the missing O - what a difference an O makes!
I thought Voyager 1 had gone long ago!
I thought Voyager 1 had gone long ago!
Sep 15th 2013, 11:22 pm
#25
snɐןɔ ʎʇıuɐs
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,558
Re: voyager 1
Had to laugh at the mention of Oort clouds back there - I read that as Ort clouds and for us stitchers Orts are the little bits of yarn that get snipped off when you get to the end to your thread - some of us have Ort boxes (to be shared with birds at nesting time, often) so the thought of the sun on an Ort cloud was just precious - then I noticed the missing O - what a difference an O makes!
There's a bunch of comets due soon, Comet ISON, and Comet Lovejoy amongst them - though probably not as bright as hoped.
Sep 16th 2013, 5:57 am
#26
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Re: voyager 1
Sep 16th 2013, 11:46 am
#28
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
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Sep 16th 2013, 11:48 am
#29
has lost The Game
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
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Sep 16th 2013, 11:53 am
#30
Daffyd Duck
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Paradise
Posts: 5,636
Re: voyager 1
do we even know if voyager 1 really exists? isn't it one of the propaganda stories of the USA?