Science

How NASA took advantage of rare space phenomenon to blast through Solar System


In 1977, NASA launched its Voyager programme to employ two robotic probes – Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 to study the outer Solar System.  Scientists calculated the date of a rare phenomenon that meant all the planets furthest from the Sun were perfectly aligned. This allowed the Voyagers probes to whizz through space at a rate of knots, pulled by the gravity of the planets. 

Brian Cox explained during his BBC series ‘The Planets’ why this space formation was out-of-the-ordinary. 

He said: “Our first mission into the dark was only possible thanks to some help from the planets themselves. 

“Each planet orbits at a different speed. 

“And, for most of the time, they are scattered around the Sun. 

“But once every 175 years, something rather wonderful happens.” 

Dr Cox detailed how the phenomenon allowed Voyager to reach Jupiter in record time. 

He added: “The outer planets align, creating a path that leads from Earth, past Jupiter and Saturn. 

“All the way to Uranus and Neptune. 

“Voyager 2 had been launched at precisely the right moment to take advantage of this rare planetary alignment. 

“It arrived at Jupiter in a little under two years.” 

Dr Cox went on to explain how Jupiter then also played a big role in the final push. 

“Two-and-a-half times more massive than all the other planets combined, Jupiter gave Voyager a gravitational kick. 

“Another two years on and Voyager witnessed one of the most beautiful sights in the Solar System – the icy rings of another gas giant – Saturn. 

“And then, on and on, further into the darkness. 

“Almost nine years after leaving Earth, Voyager approached an entirely new class of planet – Uranus.” 

Brian Cox also revealed a “startling” Saturn discovery in the same show made by NASA’s Cassini probe in 2005. 

He said: “After its 3.5 billion-kilometre journey, Cassini was now able to see Saturn’s rings like never before. 

“What’s more, during its long stay at Saturn, Cassini would be able to take physical samples for the very first time. 

“By measuring the way the dust from the Solar System falls on to the rings, Cassini made a startling discovery. 

If the rings have been around Saturn for billions of years, they should have been darkened and dimmed by the dust.” 

Dr Cox went on to detail how they determined the true age of the rings. 

He added: “But they are pristine and bright and the reason is because they are young. 

“Nearly 4.5 billion years younger than Saturn itself. 

“The mystery of the origin of the rings is an active area of research. 

“The evidence Cassini delivered hints that the solution lies not with the planet itself, but with the world’s tracked in orbit around it – Saturn’s moons.” 



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