Never mind Elvis, Voyager has Left the Building...er...Solar System

It's official, the Voyager I Spacecraft has left the solar system and is now in interstellar space.  For those two young to remember, the Voyager I spacecraft (and its twin Voyager II) were launched in 1977 to explore the outer planets of our solar system.

However, the nuclear power plant aboard Voyager has continued to provide power long after a solar panel would have become useless.  As a result Voyager continues to sample the space around it and send back radio signal to ground stations on Earth. 

Three excellent articles appeared on the Universe Today website describing how scientists arrived at the conclusion that Voyager had finally passed through the boundary where the influence of our sun ends and interstellar space begins.  

It’s Official: Voyager 1 Is Now In Interstellar Space

Listen to the Sounds of Interstellar Space, Recorded by Voyager 1

Messages To Voyager: Welcome to Interstellar Space

This artist’s concept shows the Voyager 1 spacecraft entering the space between stars. Interstellar space is dominated by plasma, ionized gas (illustrated here as brownish haze), that was thrown off by giant stars millions of years ago.Credit: NASA.

Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/#ixzz2ej5lPKit

Voyager 1 Most Distant Object Created by Humans

In September 1977 a little robotic spacecraft named Voyager I left the Earth to begin a tour of the solar system.  Today the Little Spaceship that Could is still out there, still flying, still sending back data and about to "leave our solar system"

That last phrase is in quotes because there is no clear dividing line between what is defined as IN and OUT of the solar system.  

The following article by Jason Major (article appeared on the Universe Today website) is a great discussion on what clues scientists will look for in Voyager's data.  

Voyager 1, Is It In or Is It Out? by Jason Major

Has Voyager 1 actually left the Solar System? Some researchers are saying yes. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)