Voyager 1 and 2 detected something beyond the edge of our Solar System

Voyager 1 and 2 revealed a mystery beyond the Solar System that defies imagination.

Space, a vast and mysterious territory that has fascinated humanity since time immemorial. Throughout history, we have explored the cosmos in search of answers to fundamental questions about our existence and our place in the universe. And in this tireless quest, the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes have played a crucial role.

An Epic Journey in Space

Extreme travel is always dangerous: deadly currents and whirlpools in rivers, ice avalanches in mountains. But what if a wall of fire more than 500 million kilometers high stands in the way? Although this sounds impossible on Earth, it can happen in space, and the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes may have recently encountered such an obstacle.

These two spacecraft have come an extraordinary way since launching 45 years ago from Cape Canaveral. They’ve visited four distant planets , captured vivid images and conducted hundreds of scientific investigations. But their odyssey didn’t end there. After traveling beyond the solar system, they encountered a true hell—a red-hot region that has scientists baffled. How did the Voyagers manage to overcome this terrifying wall of fire, and what secrets have they discovered on their interstellar journey?

The Enigma of the Helium Pause

For nearly half a century, Voyager's equipment that has reached beyond the solar system has performed surprisingly well. It has withstood the space environment, with its nightmarish radiation, low temperatures and needle-sharp dust. This has been made possible by their excellent level of protection. These ships are equipped with multi-layer thermal insulation, heat shields and plastic coatings. Seemingly simple items, such as strips of kitchen foil, were used as radiation protection – and they worked perfectly!

A Colossal Effort

The amount of work and people dedicated to the development and execution of the Voyager project is staggering, spanning some 11,000 years of equivalent effort, which is one-third of the effort expended to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. These spacecraft were launched into space with the mission of visiting Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus, where they took extraordinary images that expanded our knowledge of the planets in our solar system.

For example, the iconic image of the “pale blue dot” and volcanic eruptions on Jupiter captured by Voyager 1, as well as the fascinating image of the Earth and Moon as two crescents moving in the same direction, taken when Voyager 1 was heading towards Jupiter. These images have given us a unique perspective of our solar system.

The Discovery of Helium Pause

But the real surprise came when the Voyagers reached the edge of the solar system and entered the helium pause region . This is a mysterious region that scientists had only studied using simulations. The galaxy's magnetic field near the helium pause was expected to be tilted toward the Sun's magnetic field, but the Voyagers found no change in the direction of the magnetic field.

Moreover, the density of particles in this region turned out to be 10 times higher than in the solar wind. The streams of solar and interstellar particles collided at unimaginable speeds, giving rise to an astonishing phenomenon that astronomers have dubbed a “wall of fire.” Although it is not known for certain whether this phenomenon resembles the fire we know, the plasma at the outer boundary of the helium gap reaches temperatures of 30,000 to 50,000 Kelvin.

The Importance of Studying the Wall of Fire

Studying the red-hot wall is of vital importance to scientists. After all, the heliopause represents the solar system's last line of defense against dangerous cosmic rays and interstellar dust. Without the heliosphere, life on Earth would have been impossible. But what role does this wall of fire play in protecting our solar system? Will astronauts be able to overcome it in the future during interstellar missions?

According to astrophysicists at Boston University, it all depends on the shape of the heliosphere. If this protective bubble is shaped just right, there could be safe havens for starship crews in interstellar space. While we used to think the heliosphere was shaped like a comet's tail, new research suggests it might look more like a doughnut or croissant, opening up the possibility of finding safe havens inside it.

The Sounds of Interstellar Space

As the Voyagers traveled through interstellar space, they captured a variety of sounds that we couldn't hear, but their instruments recorded them and transmitted them back to Earth. Initially, scientists couldn't determine their source, but later concluded that they were the sounds of gas in interstellar space. This discovery has expanded our understanding of this mysterious environment and given us a unique soundtrack to the universe.

Voyager Challenges and Future

Throughout their journey, the Voyagers have faced technical challenges. For example, in 1978, Voyager 1's primary radio receiver malfunctioned, and it has been using a backup receiver ever since. Recently, they began sending incorrect data back to Earth due to a computer that stopped working many years ago.

In addition, Voyager's power sources are running low, and it can no longer fully maintain the temperature of its equipment. However, NASA engineers say they still have enough fuel to keep its instruments running until at least 2025.

Voyager's Far Future

In the distant future, the Voyagers will continue to roam interstellar space. In about 30,000 years, they will pass through the Oort Cloud, a shell of comets and icy debris orbiting the solar system. And in about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will be closer to the star Gliese 44, 17.6 light-years from Earth, than it is to our own sun. These journeys raise questions about the future of the solar system and the fate of the Voyagers.

Challenges in Interstellar Space

Scientists believe that the Voyagers' fate in interstellar space will depend largely on how much dust is in the Milky Way. Dust particles, which fly at several kilometers per second in a shower of nanometeorites, can slowly erode the ship's coating. Even a dust particle the size of a thousandth of a millimeter would leave its microscopic mark on the ship upon impact.

The Valuable Golden Records

There is hope for the Voyagers, however. Scientists have repeatedly modeled the trajectories of these craft and their possible encounters with dust clouds. The Voyagers' golden discs have been shown to have the best chance of survival, thanks to the valuable information they contain about Earth. These discs, which are encased in gold, have an aluminum coating and a copper base. The half-life of the radioactive materials that power the Voyagers is billions of years, meaning they will continue to transmit information for a long time to come.

An Uncertain Future

Looking even further into the future, about 230 million years from now, the solar system and the Voyagers will make a full orbit around the Milky Way. Although it is impossible to predict what will happen to Earth at that time, the Voyagers will continue their journey through interstellar space. On an inhospitable world, they will wander for billions upon billions of years, while other spacecraft will explore the outer reaches of the solar system and interstellar space.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the Voyagers manage to break through the wall of fire during the heliopause?

The Voyagers were able to break through the wall of fire in the heliopause because of the thin density of the plasma in that region, which turned out to be much lower than the density of air at the Earth's surface. This prevented the spacecraft from heating up to critical temperatures and allowed them to overcome this challenge.

What valuable information do the Voyager golden records contain?

The Voyager Golden Records contain a wide range of information about Earth, including greetings in 55 languages, music from different cultures, sounds of nature and a selection of images depicting the diversity of life on our planet. These records have been designed in the hope that they may one day be found by extraterrestrial civilizations.

What is the biggest challenge the Voyagers will face in interstellar space in the long term?

The biggest challenge Voyager will face in interstellar space over the long term is erosion caused by fast-flying dust particles. These particles can gradually damage the ship's coating. Voyager's future will depend on its ability to avoid dense clouds of dust in its path.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Voyager 1 and 2 have overcome amazing challenges on their journey beyond the solar system, providing valuable data about our interstellar space. Despite obstacles and aging, these spacecraft continue to surprise us and expand our knowledge of the universe. Their legacy will live on as a symbol of human curiosity and space exploration.