Huntsville Times Thinks Voyager Is Leaving the Milky Way – Soon
Voyager 1 achievements not unlike Magellan travels, moon landing, Huntsville Times
“The science is dazzling enough: the discoveries made and the measurements gauged by Voyager 1 as it hurtles toward the outer reaches of the Milky Way. But to Gary Zank, this is more than mere science.”
“… What makes Voyager 1 unique, however, is that it is approaching the edge of the Milky Way. It’s possible it could leave the solar system and travel into what Zank described as the “pristine” interstellar medium. In other words, to be completely free of the Milky Way and the sun’s influence.”
“… As for the future of Voyager 1, there is no consensus. Some scientists believe the tiny spacecraft is on the brink of breaking through the heliosphere where Voyager is currently traveling. Once clear of the heliosphere, Voyager 1 will be clear of the Milky Way.”
“… Zank, however, said he believes that achievement is still five or six years away. Then a hydrogen wall barrier that has built up on the edge of the Milky Way must be cleared – something that, Zank estimates, won’t happen until at least 2022 and possibly not until 2027.”
“… Oh, definitely, I’ll be very happy to be wrong,” Zank said of the opportunity to get that pristine view beyond the Milky Way. “It will also mean I’ve got a lot of thinking to do about why I went wrong. But that’s another good project to work on at that point.”
Keith’s note: Huh? The Huntsville Times thinks Voyager is approaching the edge of the Milky Way? They say this 5 times so they must think it is true.
Keith’s update: The article has been fixed. This is what it originally said.
What happened to reporters doing research?
Paul is certainly no Martin Burkey…
At least in this article…
Paul Gattis, The Huntsville Times
About Me: I cover higher
education and also write general assignment stories. Until March 2010, I
worked as a sports writer, having covered both Alabama and Auburn as a
beat writer as well as high school sports.Need we say more? Let’s hope the Times hands Paul Gattis a mop, and gives him a general assignment in the rest room.
Paul Gattis has a cat with four helio paws
😉
Maybe he got it confused with the USS Voyager which would have no problem reaching the edge of the Milky Way in 35 years. It’s any easy mistake to make 😉
I was all ready to start making jokes about Gary Mitchell, energy barriers, etc.
Yeah, we can see that glowing look in your eyes. Don’t forget to take the lady doctor with you.
What a tiny, spiral galaxy the Milky Way is, what with it’s 8 planets and one star….
Wow, I didnt realise we had craft that could travel at light speed and beyond. To be leaving the Milky Way so soon is awesome! (Sarcasm)
Last I heard, VGER no longer required the information, having merged with a carbon-based unit, which, of course, is what most significantly changes things for most of us, too.
Voyager is at the end of the Milky Way?
That made me Snicker.
What a bunch of Nerds. Some Butterfinger’d editor must have let this slip through.
If I were to grade this article, I would give it a Zero.
Article also seems to say that Voyager 1 will have “long exhausted” its electric power and lost contact by 2022. It is poorly written as it uses “by then” to refer to a range of dates from 2022-2027 but would be read by most people as though that whole range is out of the question. Not sure where that idea came from; everything else I read indicates a likely need to ramp down some instruments around 2020 but that they are hoping to continue getting meaningful data until at least 2025.
Unfortunately the Huntsville Times parent company has reduced the paper’s staff to a skeleton crew. There is almost no editing and there is no one to proofread the writers. Fact-checking is non-existent. Mistakes were common when all of the jobs are in place, but now it’s surprising that’s it not worse.
This reporter just misread his notes and doesn’t know any better. If only reporters let their sources fact-check for them. Most would be glad to do a quick once-over for the reporter without compromising “journalistic integrity” since they would have no obligation to change the story. A lot of embarrassment might be saved.
The article still says “For the first time (Voyager) went through Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune”. I did not know that Voyager was capable of going “through” a planet – apparently it did so 4 times. Who knew.
What makes Voyager 1 unique, however, is that it is approaching the edge of the Milky Way.
lololol
Now thats what I call FAST!!!!!
lololol
Any one today know how to build a FAST ship like Voyager??
They don’t build em like they use to lol
these are Red State folks, they are not big on science.
makes you wonder what shows up on their engineering curriculum?