Space ships Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were sent away by NASA 36 years ago to explore the Solar System.
Voyager 1 (mass 825 kg or 722 kg) is today 125 au (astronomical units) or 18 700 000 000 000 meters from Earth while Voyager 2 (mass 722 kg or 825 kg) is only 102 au or 15 200 000 000 000 meters from Earth according Mr. Ed Stone, NASA mission boss.
1 au is 149 597 871 000 meters = average Earth distance to Sun. As the speed of light is 299 792 458 m/s, it takes light from Sun 499 seconds to reach Earth – 8 minutes and 19 seconds. A signal from Voyager 1 or 2 thus takes about 944 minutes or 16 hours to reach Earth and Mr. Ed Stone. Not bad.
36 years is about 1 135 296 000 seconds so simple division gives average speeds during 36 years of Voyager 1 – 16 471 m/s – and Voyager 2 – 13 389 m/s.
You should wonder what the Voyager 1/2 start speeds were leaving Earth and what the speeds are today.
According Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1 Voyager 1 has speed 17 000 m/s today and Voyager 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2 has speed 15 428 m/s today.
It would appear that both Voyager 1 and 2 has been travelling with constant speed from Earth during 36 years, i.e. the gravity force of the Sun does not slow down the space ships.
Isn’t it strange? I wonder what Mr. Ed Stone of NASA has to say about it. Does Ed exist?
Mr. Ed Stone of NASA
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Re: Mr. Ed Stone of NASA
According to Nasa, Doctor Stone is the real deal!
These photos offer evidence, with a Voyager prop, in your choice of color or grayscale...
These photos offer evidence, with a Voyager prop, in your choice of color or grayscale...
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Re: Mr. Ed Stone of NASA
Okay, Doctor Stone. Hold really still. We're going to just move your arm and shoulder a little over here. That's right. Literally do not move any other part of your body while we stretch the right half of your torso up. Okay drop the other shoulder just a hair. There we go. We're going to crinkle up that left arm sleeve as well so that it casts a little different shadow. Thaaaat's it. (No other shadows changed, right Steve?) Okay, hold it. Hands on the indistinguishable surface, now. Wow, you're really good at this Doctor Stone. Have you considered a career in mannequinism?
Sorry, just playing around. I'm missing the point of the Voyager facts, right?
Sorry, just playing around. I'm missing the point of the Voyager facts, right?