The Little Spacecraft That Could: Did It!

   Voyager 1 has left the solar system. I've blogged  couple of times about this remarkable little spacecraft, launched in 1977 (36 years ago), and how scientists had said at 12 billion miles out, it was nearing the boundary between our solar system and interstellar space (see my blogs of December 4, 2012 and June 27 of this year). Now, scientists say, after a few false alarms, Voyager 1, which is about the same size as a sub-compact car, has crossed over. They used measurements of charged particles hitting the craft. And a bunch of other rocket-science ways of determining it.
    And they now say it's left the influence of the sun's Heliopause, and is now being struck by particles from outside the sphere of influence. Or something like that. But they also caution that even though the probe has left the suns influence behind, it is still technically in the solar system. That's because of the Oort cloud, where comets come from. And it won't be clear of that for some 30 thousand years. And Voyager continues sending data back, and will continue doing so until 2025 when the plutonium power source finally runs down.
   After that.....well, if there is other intelligent life out there (which I believe there is), they may find either Voyager 1 or 2, and get a chance to listen to the Golden Record with sounds and pictures of what the 3rd rock from the sun was like in the 1970's.
   Carry on Little Spacecraft That Could!
   'Nuff said.