Is Voyager 1 Finally Out Of The Solar System? Not Quite
Voyager 1 One of the two identical Voyager probes, as photographed by NASA. NASAIt certainly is in strange new territory, though. Sailing through a frozen, frothy sea of charged particles, the 35-year-old Voyager 1 spacecraft is so far from its home that our star looks like just another pinpoint of light in the spangled heavens. But the sun is not quite done exerting its influence over our distant emissary. That day may come soon, however. Whether Voyager is gone or not--which has been a point of debate for a couple of years now--is a momentous question. It will be the first thing humanity has ever sent outside the little neighborhood carved out by our star, making its departure a profound occasion. But scientists are still trying to figure out what departure really means. Now it apparently depends on which scientist you ask. This afternoon, scientists shared a forthcoming paper explaining some of the...