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Space
3:17 pm
Wed September 5, 2012

After 35 years, Voyager nears edge of solar system

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Credit NASA/JPL
In addition to surveying the planets, the Voyager mission also spent time studying the planets' satellites, or moons. This mosaic image, taken in 1989, shows Neptune's largest satellite, Triton. Triton has the coldest surface temperature known anywhere in the solar system.
Credit NASA/JPL
The two Voyager spacecraft launched on Aug. 20, 1977, and Sept. 5, 1977, on a mission to explore Jupiter and Saturn. This true-color image, captured by Voyager 2 on July 21, 1981, shows the moons Dione (small dot at left) and Rhea (lower right) near Saturn.
Credit NASA/JPL
As Voyager 1 passed by Jupiter on Feb. 5, 1979, it captured this image of the planet and its Great Red Spot, as well as three of its four largest moons — Io, Europa and Callisto.
Credit NASA/JPL
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter, seen here in an image from Voyager 1 taken on Feb. 25, 1979, is a giant, hurricane-like storm in Jupiter's atmosphere. It's been documented for at least 400 years by astronomers viewing the planet through telescopes.
Credit NASA/JPL
After the Voyager craft surveyed Jupiter and Saturn, NASA extended their mission and sent Voyager 2 on to Uranus and Neptune. Voyager 1 kept traveling outward. This image of Uranus was captured by Voyager 2 in 1986, when it was about 600,000 miles from the planet. Uranus' pale blue-green color is a result of methane in the atmosphere.
Credit NASA/JPL
About three years later, in 1989, Voyager 2 reached Neptune, where it captured this high-resolution color image, which shows bright cloud streaks on the planet.
Credit NASA/JPL
This image, also taken in 1989, was the first to show Neptune's rings in detail.
Credit NASA/JPL
Violin with music score (Cavatina)
Credit NASA/JPL
The Golden Record
Credit NASA/JPL
Mathematical definitions
Credit NASA/JPL
Earth
Credit NASA/JPL
DNA structure
Credit NASA/JPL
Diagram of conception
Credit NASA/JPL
Diagram of continental drift
Credit NASA/JPL
Diagram of vertebrate evolution
Credit NASA/JPL
Man from Guatemala
Credit NASA/JPL
Schoolroom
Credit NASA/JPL
Children with globe
Credit NASA/JPL
Supermarket
Credit NASA/JPL
Demonstration of licking, eating and drinking
Credit NASA/JPL
House (Africa)
Credit NASA/JPL
X-ray of hand
Credit NASA/JPL
Street scene, Asia (Pakistan)
Credit NASA/JPL
Astronaut in space
Credit NASA / JPL
The two Voyager spacecraft launched on Aug. 20 and Sept. 5, 1977, on a mission to explore Jupiter and Saturn. This true-color image, captured by Voyager 2 on July 21, 1981, shows the moons Dione (small dot at left) and Rhea (lower right) near Saturn.
Credit NASA / JPL
This artist's drawing shows one of the Voyager probes, which were launched in 1977. Voyager 1 is hurtling toward the edge of the solar system and might be close to reaching interstellar space, researchers say.
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Originally published on Wed September 5, 2012 6:31 pm

The Voyager 1 spacecraft's 35th anniversary is proving to be unexpectedly exciting, as scientists gathered this week to examine new hints that the spacecraft is on the verge of leaving our solar system.

Voyager 1 is now more than 11 billion miles away from Earth. It blasted off in September 1977, on a mission to Jupiter and Saturn. But it also carried a Golden Record filled with music and the sounds of our planet, in case it encountered intelligent life as it moved out toward the stars.

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