Which spacecraft passed through the Saturn system in 1980 and 1981?
1980 and 1981: In its 1980 flyby of Saturn, Voyager 1 reveals the intricate structure of the ring system, consisting of thousands of ringlets. Flying even closer to Saturn in 1981, Voyager 2 provides more detailed images and documents the thinness of some of the rings.
Has Voyager 1 passed the heliopause?
On Aug. 25, 2012, Voyager 1 flew beyond the heliopause and entered interstellar space, making it the first human-made object to explore this new territory. Voyager 2, which is traveling in a different direction from Voyager 1, crossed the heliopause into interstellar space on November 5, 2018.
When was the last transmission from Voyager?
However, Voyager 1’s falling power supply means it will stop transmitting data by about 2025, meaning no data will flow back from that distant location.
What went wrong with Voyager 2 as it passed by Saturn?
Voyager 2 launched first, on August 20, 1977. (The first probe got a “2” label because Voyager 1 would travel faster through space and overtake its twin.) The problem: Voyager 2’s computer wasn’t programmed to handle the rocket’s twisting, shaking, and rattling on its way toward space — so the system went on the fritz.
What did Voyager 1 discover about Saturn’s moon Titan?
At Voyager 1’s closest approach to Titan on Nov. It also revealed that Titan had traces of acetylene, ethane, and propane, along with other organic molecules, and that its atmosphere was primarily nitrogen. Titan’s orange colored haze still hid the moon’s solid surface from the Voyager 1 cameras.
Is interstellar space empty?
Bottom line: Interstellar space is the space between the stars in a galaxy. It’s not “empty,” but, overall, it’s as close to an absolute vacuum as you can get. Molecular clouds are places in interstellar space where the material is collected most densely. Within these clouds, new stars and planets are born.
What is Titan named after?
Where did Titan get its name? Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is named for the Titans of Greek mythology, which include Cronus (equated with the Roman god Saturn) and his 11 siblings.
Has Voyager 1 crossed Oort Cloud?
Scale and Distance The Oort Cloud is the most distant region in our solar system, and it’s jaw-droppingly far away,extending perhaps one-quarter to halfway from our Sun to the next star. At its current speed of about a million miles a day, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft won’t enter the Oort Cloud for about 300 years.
How close did Voyager 1 come to Saturn?
Voyager 1 encountered Saturn in November 1980, with the closest approach on November 12, 1980, when the space probe came within 124,000 kilometers (77,000 mi) of Saturn’s cloud-tops.
What two planets did Voyager 1 visit?
Voyager 1 targeted Jupiter and Saturn before continuing on to chart the far edges of our solar system. Voyager 1 was to become the second spacecraft to visit Saturn. Its mission there was to explore the planet and its rings, moons, and magnetic field in greater detail than was possible for its predecessor, Pioneer 11.
What is Voyager 1?
What is Voyager 1? No spacecraft has gone farther than NASA’s Voyager 1. Launched in 1977 to fly by Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 1 crossed into interstellar space in August 2012 and continues to collect data. Voyager 1 and its sister ship Voyager 2 have been flying longer than any other spacecraft in history.
Why didn’t Voyager 1 go to Uranus and Neptune?
Because of the specific requirements for the Titan flyby, the spacecraft was not directed to Uranus and Neptune. On Feb. 14, 1990, Voyager 1’s cameras were pointed backward and captured about 60 images of the Sun and planets — the first “portrait” of our solar system as seen from the outside.