voyager 30 september 2004 edbm - 1 the journey of discovery continues voyager interstellar mission

Voyager 30 September 2004 EdBM - 1

The Journey of Discovery ContinuesThe Journey of Discovery Continues

Voyager Interstellar Voyager Interstellar MissionMission


What is an Astronomical Unit (AU)??What is an Astronomical Unit (AU)??

Distance between Sun and Earth

About 93 million milesOr ~150 million kilometersOr ~8.3 light minutes


Mariner Jupiter Saturn (MJS) MissionMariner Jupiter Saturn (MJS) Mission

Renamed Voyager prior to launchRenamed Voyager prior to launch


Spacecraft and Launch VehicleSpacecraft and Launch Vehicle


The Grand Tour TrajectoryThe Grand Tour Trajectory


The Grand TourThe Grand Tour•active atmospheres

•high-speed jet streams

•large storm systems

•all have ring systems

•all have magnetospheres

•total of 57 known moons

•great diversity among moons

•Io, Europa, Titan, Triton unique

•spectrum of scientific discoveries


Jupiter Jupiter

• Great Red Spot is complex storm rotating counterclockwise

• Incredibly diverse satellite geology

• Active volcanoes on Io with plumes extending up to 300 Km (200 miles) above surface.

• Two new, small moons found orbiting just inside the ring and a third satellite discovered between orbits of Amalthea.

• Magnetospheric rotation strips away material from Io and forms a torus along Io’s orbit around Jupiter.

• Saw cloud top lightning bolts and polar auroras

Jupiter and Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto


SaturnSaturn

• Complex ring system consisting of irregular shaped particles

• A wide variety of satellites in Saturn’s orbit, including “shepherd” moons and possibly a captured asteroid

• Titan, a planet-sized moon has thick nitrogen-methane atmosphere

• Chemistry of Titan may resemble that which occurred on Earth before life evolved.

Saturn and Enceladus, Rhea, Dionne, Tethys, Mimas, Titan


UranusUranus

• Magnetic field tilted 60 degrees and offset from the center of the planet by about 1/3 radius

• Sunlit pole radiates large amounts of ultraviolet light - “dayglow”

• Cloud top temperature about -350 degrees F over most of the planet

• 10 new moons found• Broad ring system, distinctly different from those at Jupiter and

Saturn

Titinia Miranda


NeptuneNeptune

• Found six new moons • Showed that Neptune’s rings are complete but are diffuse and the material so fine

that they couldn’t be fully resolved from Earth. A total of four rings seen• Several large Dark Spots similar to Jupiter’s storms. Great Dark spot the size of

Earth and resembling the Great Red Spot• Magnetic field highly tilted - 47 degrees from rotation axis - and offset from center

by .55 radius• Active geyser-like eruptions seen on Triton• Triton’s retrograde orbit suggest it is a captured object

Neptune and Triton

Great Dark Spot


Looking Back and Looking AheadLooking Back and Looking Ahead

Portrait of the Solar SystemVoyager 1, February 14, 1990

“pale blue dot”


Voyager DistancesVoyager Distances

As of 4 October 2004

Distance from the Sun Round-trip Light Time

Voyager 1 93.3 AU (13.96 billion km) 25h 58m 36s

Voyager 2 74.5 AU (11.15 billion km) 20h 38m 30s


Voyager and the Termination ShockVoyager and the Termination Shock

• Voyager 1 is the furthest human-made object from the Sun

• Both spacecraft on paths toward interstellar space

• No one knows how far out the Sun’s atmosphere (heliosphere) extends

• Will know how far when Voyager 1 reaches termination shock

• Heliopause is where the solar wind and interstellar wind meet

• Termination shock expected to be less than 100 AU from the Sun

• Voyager 1 may be close. Spacecraft has observed energetic Ions from the shock.


The Solar System - Overview of ScaleThe Solar System - Overview of Scale


The FutureThe Future

• Sufficient power until the year 2020Sufficient power until the year 2020• Voyagers will then wander the Milky WayVoyagers will then wander the Milky Way

- Voyager 1 within 1.6 light years of AC+79 3888 in 40,000 yearsVoyager 1 within 1.6 light years of AC+79 3888 in 40,000 years- Voyager 2 within 4.3 light years of Sirius in 296,000 yearsVoyager 2 within 4.3 light years of Sirius in 296,000 years


Interstellar Outreach: Interstellar Outreach: A Golden Record From EarthA Golden Record From Earth

• Whale Greetings

• Sounds of Earth

• 90 minutes of music

• 118 pictures

• Greetings from U.S. President Jimmy Carter

• Greetings from Kurt Waldheim, UN Secretary General

• Congressional List

• Greetings in 54 languages


For More InformationFor More Information

• Voyager Web Site @ JPL http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov

• Books

- Murmurs of Earth, The Voyager Interstellar Record Carl Sagan, et al

- Voyager’s Grand Tour Dethloff & Schorn


Alternate Planetary Exploration SlidesAlternate Planetary Exploration Slides


Jupiter’s Rich MeteorologyJupiter’s Rich Meteorology

Great Red Spot, CCW 350-yr storm

zonebelt

“barge”

Earth to scale

Io and Europaover Jupiter disk


Comparing the Galilean SatellitesComparing the Galilean Satellites


The Volcanoes of IoThe Volcanoes of Io

hot lava from Tvashtar Catena

Pele plume to 300 km,fallout size of France

Galileo image

50 km


Europa - Ice Over a Vast OceanEuropa - Ice Over a Vast Ocean

Voyager image

Galileo image

5 km


Ganymede and CallistoGanymede and Callisto

Voyager

GalileoGalileo

Voyager/Galileo

torn comet,200 km scar

15 km


Saturn and TitanSaturn and Titan

dense, nitrogen-methaneatmosphere for Titan

complex rings, many diverse moons

ring “spokes”

chemistry may resemble early Earth


Uranus and MirandaUranus and Miranda

tilted, featureless,ringed, and 10 new moons discovered

smashed andreassembled,or upwelling?

diameter 472 km


Neptune and TritonNeptune and Triton

geyser-like eruptions

fast winds, Great Dark Spot,faint rings, 6 new moons

retrograde, likely captured object

voyager 30 september 2004 edbm - 1 the journey of discovery continues voyager interstellar mission

Documents

s voyager

voyager distances

titan slide

solar system voyager

launch slide

callisto slide

saturn titiniamiranda

light minutes slide