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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Voyager_probes
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1992-09-01
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Two US space probes, originally Mariners.
Voyager 1, launched 5 Sept 1977, passed
Jupiter Mar 1979, and reached Saturn Nov
1980. Voyager 2 was launched earlier, 20 Aug
1977, on a slower trajectory that took it
past Jupiter July 1979, Saturn Aug 1981,
Uranus Jan 1986, Neptune Aug 1989, and on to
Pluto. Like the Pioneer probes, the Voyagers
are on their way out of the solar system.
Their tasks now include helping scientists to
locate the position of the heliopause, the
boundary at which the influence of the Sun
gives way to the forces exerted by other
stars. Both Voyagers carry specially coded
long-playing records called `Sounds of Earth'
for the enlightenment of any other
civilizations that might find them. Voyager 2
was not intended to visit Uranus and Neptune,
but the scientists were able to reprogram its
computer to take it past those planets.
Voyager 2 passed by Neptune at an altitude of
4,800 km/3,000 mi; its radio signals took 4
hours 6 minutes to reach Earth.