The Voyager Golden Record.

Cover of the Voyager Golden Record.

The Voyager Golden Record is a gramophone record, attached to the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977, containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. It is intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form that may find it. The Voyager spacecraft will take about 40,000 years to come near another star, 'near' meaning in this case within around 1.7 light years' distance; hence, if other beings do not come in the direction of the spacecraft to meet them, it will take at least that long for the Golden Record to be found. Voyager Golden Record - Cover (NASA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Voyager Golden Record - Cover (NASA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Voyager Golden Record - reverse - this is a version of the original image below, but inverted so that the details match the diagram on the Voyager Golden Record page. ... Voyager Golden Record - reverse - this is a version of the original image below, but inverted so that the details match the diagram on the Voyager Golden Record page. ... 33â…“ LP vinyl record album from the 1960s A gramophone record (also phonograph record, or simply record) is an analogue sound recording medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove. ... The Voyager spacecraft Launch of Voyager 2 Voyager is also the name of a planned series of unmanned probes to Mars, cancelled in 1968. ... A spacecraft is designed to leave Earths atmosphere and operate beyond the surface of the Earth in outer space. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Extraterrestrial, as an adjective, refers to something that originates, occurs, or is located outside Earth or its atmosphere. ... A light year, abbreviated ly, is the distance light travels in one year: roughly 9. ...

As the probes they are attached to are extremely small compared to the vastness of interstellar space, it is extraordinarily unlikely that they will ever be intercepted. If they are ever found by an alien species, it will be far in the future, and thus the record is best seen as a symbolic statement rather than a serious attempt to communicate with aliens.

Background

As of 2006, the Voyager spacecraft will be the third and fourth human artifacts to escape entirely from the solar system. Pioneers 10 and 11, which were launched in 1972 and 1973 and preceded Voyager in outstripping the gravitational attraction of the Sun, both carried small metal plaques identifying their time and place of origin for the benefit of any other spacefarers that might find them in the distant future. 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The US Pioneer program of unmanned space missions was designed for planetary exploration. ... Pioneer 10 in the final stage of construction Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt, and was the first spacecraft to make direct observations of Jupiter. ... Pioneer 11 at Saturn (artists impression) Pioneer 11 was the second mission to investigate Jupiter and the outer solar system and the first to explore the planet Saturn and its main rings. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Gravity is a force of attraction that acts between bodies that have mass. ... The Sun is the star at the center of Earths solar system. ... On board the unmanned spacecraft Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 is a plaque with a pictorial message from mankind. ...

With this example before them, NASA placed a more comprehensive (and eclectic) message aboard Voyager 1 and 2 – a kind of time capsule, intended to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials. NASA Logo Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-09-01, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... The Voyager spacecraft Launch of Voyager 2 Voyager is also the name of a planned series of unmanned probes to Mars, cancelled in 1968. ... Voyager 1 lifted off with a Titan 3E Centaur A NASA artists rendition of a Voyager spacecraft The Voyager 1 spacecraft is an 815-kilogram unmanned probe of the outer solar system and beyond, launched September 5, 1977, and currently operational. ... The Voyager 2 spacecraft was launched in August, 1977. ... A time capsule is a historic cache of goods and/or information, usually intended as a method of communication with people in the future. ... Extraterrestrial, as an adjective, refers to something that originates, occurs, or is located outside Earth or its atmosphere. ...

This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. – U.S. President Jimmy Carter. For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ...

Recording cover diagram

Contents

The contents of the record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan of Cornell University. Dr. Sagan and his associates assembled 115 images and a variety of natural sounds, such as those made by surf, wind, and thunder, and animal sounds, including the songs of birds and whales. To this they added musical selections from different cultures and eras, and spoken greetings from Earth-people in fifty-five languages, and printed messages from President Jimmy Carter and U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim. It has been suggested that Minimum deterrence be merged into this article or section. ... This is about the university. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Humpback whales are well known for their songs Whale song is the sounds made by whales to communicate. ... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... Kurt Waldheim (born December 21, 1918) is an Austrian diplomat and conservative politician. ...

After NASA had received much criticism over the "smut" on the Pioneer plaque (line drawings of a naked man and woman), the agency chose not to allow Sagan and his colleagues to include a photograph of a nude man and a nude, pregnant woman on the record. Instead, only a silhouette of the couple was included (Jon Lomberg: "Pictures of Earth". in Carl Sagan: Murmurs of Earth, 1978, New York, ISBN 0679744444). On board the unmanned spacecraft Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 is a plaque with a pictorial message from mankind. ...

Here is an excerpt of President Carter's official statement placed on the Voyager spacecraft for its trip outside our solar system, June 16, 1977: "We cast this message into the cosmos ... Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some – perhaps many – may have inhabited planets and space faring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message: We are trying to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope some day, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of Galactic Civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination and our goodwill in a vast and awesome universe." June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

The 115 images are encoded in analog form. The remainder of the record is audio, designed to be played at 16⅔ revolutions per minute. It contains spoken greetings beginning with Akkadian, which was spoken in Sumer about six thousand years ago, and ending with Wu, a modern Chinese dialect. Akkadian (lišānum akkadÄ«tum) was a Semitic language (part of the greater Afro-Asiatic language family) spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly by the Assyrians and Babylonians. ... Sumer (or Shumer, Egyptian Sangar, Bib. ... Wu (吳方言 pinyin wú fāng yán; 吳語 pinyin wú yÇ” lumazi wu niu(nyu)) is one of the major divisions of the Chinese language. ... Spoken Chinese The Chinese spoken language(s) comprise(s) many regional variants. ...

Following are the 55 languages included in the Golden Record:

Following the section on the sounds of Earth, there is an eclectic 90-minute selection of music from many cultures, including Eastern and Western classics. The selections include: Akkadian (lišānum akkadÄ«tum) was a Semitic language (part of the greater Afro-Asiatic language family) spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly by the Assyrians and Babylonians. ... Xiamen (Simplified Chinese: 厦门; Traditional Chinese: 廈門; pinyin: Xiàmén; Wade_Giles: Hsiamen) is a coastal sub_provincial city in Fujian Province, southern China. ... Mǐn N n (Chinese: 閩南語), also spelt as Minnan or Min-nan; native name B ; literally means Southern Min or Southern Fujian and refers to the local language/dialect of southern Fujian province, China. ... The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ transliterated: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ transliterated: ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a 3,000-year history. ... Bangla (বাংলা, IPA: ) or Bengali is an Indo-Aryan language of East South Asia, evolved from Sanskrit and Prakrit. ... This article is on all of the Yue dialects. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... {{Infobox Language |name=Gujarati |nativename=ગુજરાતી GujarātÄ« |region[[Pakistan|speakers=1 million |rank=122 |familycolor=Indo-European |fam2=Indo-Iranian |fam3=Indo-Aryan |fam4=Western Indo-Aryan |script=Gujarati script |nation=Gujarat |agency=Language Academy |iso1=gu|iso2=guj|iso3=guj |notice=Indic}} Gujarati (ગુજરાતી GujarātÄ«) is an Indo-European... Hebrew (עִבְרִית ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jewish communities around the world. ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... The Hittite language is the dead language once spoken by the Hittites, a people who once created an empire centered on ancient Hattusa (modern BoÄŸazköy) in north-central Anatolia (modern Turkey). ... Ila can refer to: Manus son in indo-european myth. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is on all of the Northern Chinese dialects. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Nepali (Khaskura) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, and some parts of India and Burma. ... For the cattle breed see Nguni cattle. ... Chichewa (Chicheŵa in Malawian English) is one of the two official national languages of the Republic of Malawi, the other being English. ... Oriya (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ) is one of the Indian languages mainly spoken in the Indian state of Orissa, though there are also significant Oriya-speaking populations in other linguistic regions, such as the Medinpur district of West Bengal and the Saraikela Kharsawan district of Jharkhand. ... Persian is a language spoken in Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... Punjabi (also Panjabi; in GurmukhÄ«, PanjābÄ« in ShāhmukhÄ«) is the language of the Punjabi people and the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. ... Quechua (Standard Quechua, Runasimi Language of People) is an Native American language of South America. ... The Rajasthani languages are a group of related languages spoken in India and Pakistan . ... Serbo-Croatian or Croato-Serbian (also Croatian or Serbian, Serbian or Croatian) (srpskohrvatski or cрпскохрватски or hrvatskosrpski or hrvatski ili srpski or srpski ili hrvatski), earlier also Serbo-Croat, was an official language of Yugoslavia (along with Slovenian, Macedonian). ... a resource to look at current viewpoints Categories: Indo-Aryan languages | Languages of Sri Lanka | Wikipedia cleanup | Language stubs ... Sesotho is a language spoken in southern Africa. ... The Sumerian language of ancient Sumer was spoken in Southern Mesopotamia from at least the 4th millennium BCE. Sumerian was replaced by Akkadian as a spoken language around 2000 BCE, but continued to be used as a sacred, ceremonial and scientific language in Mesopotamia until about 1 AD. Then, it... Telugu (తెలుగు) belongs to the Dravidian language family but with ample influence from the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family and is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Wu (吳方言 pinyin wú fāng yán; 吳語 pinyin wú yǔ) is one of the major divisions of the Chinese language. ...

• Germany, Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement, Munich Bach Orchestra, Karl Richter, conductor. 4:40
• Java, "Puspawarna" ("Kinds of Flowers"), Pura Paku Alaman gamelan, K.R.T. Wasitodipuro, director, recorded by Robert E. Brown. 4:43
• Senegal, percussion, recorded by Charles Duvelle. 2:08
• Zaire, Pygmy girls' initiation song, recorded by Colin Turnbull. 0:56
• Australia, Aborigine songs, "Morning Star" and "Devil Bird", recorded by Sandra LeBrun Holmes. 1:26
• Mexico, "El Cascabel", performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México. 3:14
• USA, "Johnny B. Goode", written and performed by Chuck Berry. 2:38
• New Guinea, men's house song, recorded by Robert MacLennan. 1:20
• Japan, shakuhachi, "Tsuru No Sugomori" ("Crane's Nest") performed by Goro Yamaguchi. 4:51
• Germany/Belgium, Bach, "Gavotte en rondeaux" from the Partita No. 3 in E major for Violin, performed by Arthur Grumiaux. 2:55
• Austria/Germany, Mozart, Die Zauberflöte, Queen of the Night aria, no. 14. Edda Moser, soprano. Bavarian State Opera, Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor. 2:55
• Georgian S.S.R., chorus, "Tchakrulo", collected by Radio Moscow. 2:18
• Peru, panpipes and drum, collected by Casa de la Cultura, Lima. 0:52
• USA, "Melancholy Blues", performed by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven. 3:05
• Azerbaijan S.S.R., bagpipes, "Ugam", recorded by Radio Moscow. 2:30
• Russia/France/USA, Stravinsky, Rite of Spring, Sacrificial Dance, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Igor Stravinsky, conductor. 4:35
• Germany/Canada, Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, Prelude and Fugue in C, No.1, Glenn Gould, piano. 4:48
• Germany/England, Beethoven, Fifth Symphony, First Movement, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor. 7:20
• Bulgaria, "Излел е Делю хайдутин" ("Izlel je Delyo Hajdutin"), sung by Valya Balkanska. 4:59
• USA, Navajo Indians, Night Chant, recorded by Willard Rhodes. 0:57
• England, Anthony Holborne, "The Fairie Round" from Paueans, Galliards, Almains and Other Short Aeirs, performed by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London. 1:17
• Solomon Islands, panpipes, collected by the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Service. 1:12
• Peru, wedding song, recorded by John Cohen. 0:38
• China, guqin, "Liu Shui" ("Flowing Streams"), by Bo Ya, performed by Kuan P'ing-hu. 7:37
• India, raga Bhairavi, "Jaat Kahan Ho", sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. 3:30
• USA, "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground", written and performed by Blind Willie Johnson. 3:15
• Germany/Hungary, Beethoven, String Quartet No. 13 in B flat, Opus 130, Cavatina, performed by Budapest String Quartet. 6:37

Bach redirects here. ... The six Brandenburg concertos (BWV 1046-1051) by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of instrumental works presented by Bach to the Margrave of Brandenburg in 1721, but probably composed earlier. ... Karl Richter (October 15, 1926 – February 15, 1981) was a German conductor, organist, and harpsichordist. ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... Puspawarna (Javanese for kinds of flowers) is a gamelan composition famous in central Java. ... Saron - Indonesian Embassy in Canberra A gamelan is a kind of musical ensemble of Indonesian origin typically featuring metallophones, xylophones, drums, and gongs. ... K.P.H. Notoprojo (also known as Tjokrowasito, Wasitodipuro, Wasitodiningrat, and other names; b. ... Robert E. Bob Brown (? - 29 November 2005) was an ethnomusicologist who is credited with coining the term world music. He was also well known for his recordings of music from Indonesia. ... The Pygmies are a broad group of people who live in Central Africa, especially in Congo, Central African Republic and Cameroon. ... Colin Macmillan Turnbull (November 23, 1924 - July 28, 1994) was a prominent British anthropologist who gained fame with his book The Forest People (1962), a detailed study of the Mbuti Pygmies. ... Indigenous Australians are the first inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands, continuing their presence during European settlement. ... Lorenzo Barcelata, (July 24, 1898 – July 13, 1943), was a Mexican composer and actor born in Tlalixcoyan. ... Johnny B. Goode is a song written by Chuck Berry in 1955 (although recorded in 1958), and is considered one of the first pure rock and roll songs ever recorded. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born October 18, 1926 in St. ... Shakuhachi The shakuhachi IPA: ) is a Japanese end-blown flute which is held vertically like a recorder instead of being held transversely like the familiar Western transverse flute. ... The Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin (BWV 1001–1006) is a set of six works composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. ... A violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart. ... Arthur Grumiaux (March 21, 1921–October 16, 1986) was a Belgian violinist who was also proficient in piano. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart; January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) is among the most significant and enduringly popular composers of European classical music. ... Die Zauberflöte (en: The Magic Flute) is an opera in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. ... The German soprano Edda Moser was born on October 27, 1938. ... Munich, National Theatre The Bavarian State Opera (in German: Bayerische Staatsoper) is an opera company in Munich and is one of the leading opera companies in Germany and the world. ... Wolfgang Sawallisch (born August 26, 1923) is a German conductor and pianist. ... State motto: პროლეტარ ყველა ქვეყნისა, შეერთდით! Official language Georgian since 1978 Capital Tbilisi Chairman of the Supreme Council Zviad Gamsakhurdia (at independence) Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until February 25, 1921 December 30, 1922 April 9, 1991 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 10th in former Soviet Union 69,700 km² -- Population  - Total (1989)  - Density Ranked... A 1969 Radio Moscow QSL card Radio Moscow was the official international broadcasting station of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. ... Pan pipes (also known as the panflute or the syrinx or quills) is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the stopped pipe, consisting usually of ten or more pipes of gradually increasing length. ... Lima is the capital and largest city in Peru, as well as the capital of Lima Province. ... Louis Daniel Armstrong (July 4, 1900[1] – July 6, 1971) (also known by the nicknames Satchmo for satchel-mouth and Pops) was an American jazz musician. ... A bagpipe performer in Amsterdam. ... Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: И́горь Фёдорович Страви́нский Igor Fjodorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian-born composer of modern classical music. ... The Rite of Spring is a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. ... The Columbia Symphony Orchestra is, (or was) an orchestra formed by the recording company Columbia, and provided a vehicle for some of their better known recording artists, with perhaps the most important contributions made by the conductor Bruno Walter, who made recordings of Beethoven and Mozart symphonies, amongst others, with... Title-page of Das wohtemperierte Klavier A flat major (As-dur) fugue from the second part of Das wohtemperierte Klavier (manuscript) The Well-Tempered Clavier (Das wohltemperierte Klavier in German -- Klavier means piano, but the English word clavier (which means keyboard) looks more like the German title) consists of two... Glenn Gould, Toronto, 1974 Glenn Herbert Gould (September 25, 1932 – October 4, 1982) was a celebrated Canadian pianist, noted especially for his recordings of Johann Sebastian Bachs keyboard music. ... Ludwig van Beethoven by Carl Jäger (date unknown). ... The Philharmonia is an orchestra based in London. ... Photographic portrait taken ca. ... Navajo hunters outside Sam Days Trading Post in 1887 The Navajo Nation (Navajo: Naabeehó Dineé) is a sovereign Native American Tribe of Indians, traditionally known as, Diné. The Navajo Indian Reservation covers about 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometres) of land, occupying all of northeastern Arizona, and... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... Anthony Holborne (c. ... The pavane is a processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century, whether named from an origin in Padua (padovano), from Sanskrit meaning wind, or from the stately sweep of a ladys train likened to a peacocks tail. ... The galliard (gaillarde, in French) was a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the 16th century. ... An allemande (also spelled allemanda, almain, or alman) (from French German) is a type of dance popular in Baroque music, and a standard element of a suite, generally the first or second movement. ... Air (french for: Aria; also: Ayr, Ayre), a variant of the musical song form, is the name of various song-like vocal or instrumental compositions. ... David Munrow (August 12, 1942 - May 15, 1976) was a musician and early music historian. ... John Cohen (born Queens, New York, 1932) is a founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers as well as a photographer and filmmaker of note. ... The guqin (Chinese: 古琴; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: ku-chin; literally ancient stringed-instrument) is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family (中華絃樂噐/中华弦乐器). It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favored by scholars and literati as an instrument of great... Bo Ya (伯牙) was a qin player from the Spring and Autumn Period. ... Raga (rāg /राग (Hindi), raga (Anglicised from rāgaḥ/रागः (Sanskrit)) or rāgam /ராகம் (Tamil)) are the melodic modes used in Indian classical music. ... Bhairavi is a fierce and terrifying aspect of the Goddess virtually indistinguishable from Kali, except for her particular identification as the consort of the Wrathful Shiva. ... Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar Hindustani vocalist Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar (b. ... Blind Willie Johnson Blind Willie Johnson (c. ... The resident string quartet of the Library of Congress in 1963 A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string instruments—usually two violins, a viola and cello—or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... For the piece of music known as Cavatina or Theme from The Deer Hunter, see Cavatina (song) Cavatina (Italian diminutive of cavata, the producing of tone from an instrument, plural cavatine) is a musical term, originally a short song of simple character, without a second strain or any repetition of... The Budapest Quartet was in existence from 1917 to 1967. ...

Journey

Voyager 1 was launched in 1977, passed the orbit of Pluto in 1990, and left the solar system (in the sense of passing the termination shock) in November 2004. It is now in empty space. In about 40,000 years, it and Voyager 2 will each come to within about 1.7 light years of two separate stars: Voyager 1 will have approached star AC+79 3888, located in the constellation Ursa Minor; and Voyager 2 will have approached star Ross 248, located in the constellation of Andromeda. Voyager 1 lifted off with a Titan 3E Centaur A NASA artists rendition of a Voyager spacecraft The Voyager 1 spacecraft is an 815-kilogram unmanned probe of the outer solar system and beyond, launched September 5, 1977, and currently operational. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 0. ... This article is about the year. ... The solar system comprises the Earths Sun and the retinue of celestial objects gravitationally bound to it. ... The locations of Voyagers 1 and 2 as of 2005 In space physics, the termination shock is the boundary marking one of the outer limits of the suns influence. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Voyager 2 spacecraft was launched in August, 1977. ... A light year, abbreviated ly, is the distance light travels in one year: roughly 9. ... Ursa Minor is a constellation in the northern sky, the name of which means Small Bear in Latin. ... Andromeda is a constellation named for the princess Andromeda (which is Greek for Ruler over men), a character in Greek mythology. ...

The Voyagers are identical but on different flight paths. In May 2005, Voyager 1 was 8.7 billion miles from the Sun and traveling at a speed of 3.6 AU per year while Voyager 2 is about 6.5 billion miles away and moving at about 3.3 AU per year. One 'AU' or astronomical unit, equals the distance between the Sun and Earth which is 93 million miles. The astronomical unit (AU or au or a. ...

Voyager 1 has entered the heliosheath, the region beyond the termination shock. The termination shock is where the solar wind, a thin stream of electrically charged gas blowing continuously outward from the Sun, is slowed by pressure from gas between the stars. At the termination shock, the solar wind slows abruptly from its average speed of 300 to 700 km per second (700,000 - 1,500,000 miles per hour) and becomes denser and hotter. [1] The locations of Voyagers 1 and 2 as of 2005 The heliosheath is the zone between the termination shock and the heliopause at the outer border of the solar system. ...

As Carl Sagan has noted, "The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced spacefaring civilizations in interstellar space. But the launching of this 'bottle' into the cosmic 'ocean' says something very hopeful about life on this planet." The word civilization (or civilisation) has a variety of meanings related to human society. ...

Some others suggest that the only civilization that will encounter it will be our own, when in a few hundred years it is retrieved and placed into a space museum.

Other information

Most of the images used on the record (reproduced in black and white), together with information about its compilation, can be found in the 1978 book Murmurs of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record by Carl Sagan, F.D. Drake, Ann Druyan, Timothy Ferris, Jon Lomberg, and Linda Salzman^[1]. A CD-ROM version was issued by Warner New Media in 1992^[2]. Both versions are out of print, but the 1978 edition can be found in many college or public libraries. 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Professor Frank Drake Frank Drake (born May 28, 1930, Chicago, Illinois) is an American astronomer and astrophysicist. ... Ann Druyan (b. ... Linda Salzman Sagan is an artist and screenwriter. ... The CD-ROM (an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (ROM)) is a non-volatile optical data storage medium using the same physical format as audio compact discs, readable by a computer with a CD-ROM drive. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

In July, 1983, BBC Radio 4 broadcast the 45-minute documentary Music from a Small Planet, in which Sagan and Druyan explained the process of selecting music for the record and introduced excerpts. It was not clear whether this was an original BBC documentary or an imported NPR production. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of chiefly spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, sometimes also known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world, founded in 1922. ... NPR logo For other meanings of NPR see NPR (disambiguation) National Public Radio (NPR) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that sells programming to member radio stations; together they are a loosely organized public radio network in the United States. ...

Included within the Sounds of Earth audio portion of the Golden Record is a track containing the inspirational message ad astra per aspera in Morse Code. Translated from Latin, it means, through hardships to the stars. 1922 Chart of the Morse Code Letters and Numerals Morse code is a method for transmitting information, using standardized sequences of short and long marks or pulses — commonly known as dots and dashes — for the letters, numerals and special characters of a message. ...

Appearances in fiction

• The motion picture Starman portrayed the Voyager Golden Record as having been located by an extra-terrestrial intelligence who subsequently sent one of their own race to investigate intelligent life on Earth (but they exchanged "Johnny B. Goode" with "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones).
• Voyager and its record appear in the episode entitled "Parasites Lost" of the animated television series Futurama. Leela scrapes the spacecraft off her ship's windshield while stopped at a galactic "truck stop".
• In the Transformers series Beast Wars, one of the Predacons' stolen "Golden Disks" was in fact the Voyager Record. This disk was prized by the Transformer race, as it alone told the location of Earth and thus a plentiful source of Energon. The disk also contained a secret message from the original Megatron. See Golden Disk for more information.
• In a memorable Saturday Night Live segment, it was announced by Steve Martin that the first message from extraterrestrials was being received. Once decoded, the message stated, "Send more Chuck Berry."
• While parts of the record cover appear in Star Trek: The Motion Picture as part of V'ger, the record itself was apparently not placed on the fictional Voyager 6 probe.
• In the X-Files episode "Little Green Men", a brief excerpt from the Voyager Golden Record recording can be heard.
• In the novel Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard, the discovery of the Voyager Golden Record led the vicious alien race Psychlo to Earth.
• In the anime Eureka Seven episode 31, a reprint of the record was shown by Dr. Greg Egan in his laboratory.
• In an episode of The West Wing, "The Warfare of Ghengis Khan", Josh Lyman mentions the Golden Record (though not by name) through a reference to Blind Willie Johnson.

Starman (1984; see also 1984 in film) is a science fiction film directed by John Carpenter which tells the story of an alien from another planet (Jeff Bridges) who has come to Earth in response to the invitation left of the gold phonograph record on the Voyager space probes. ... Johnny B. Goode is a song written by Chuck Berry in 1955 (although recorded in 1958), and is considered one of the first pure rock and roll songs ever recorded. ... (I Cant Get No) Satisfaction is a rock song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for their band, The Rolling Stones. ... The Rolling Stones is a British rock band that rose to prominence during the British Invasion of the 1960s. ... Parasites Lost is the 2nd episode in series 3 of Futurama. ... Futurama is an American animated television series that follows Philip J. Fry after he is cryonically frozen at midnight, December 31, 1999 and is defrosted a thousand years later in the year 2999. ... Turanga Leela Turanga Leela (referred to as simply Leela) is the primary female character in the animated television series Futurama. ... The Transformers (G1) 1984-1987, U.S. This page is a partner page to Transformers Universes, listing the various television series that the Transformer toyline has spawned since its creation in 1984. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Megatron is the name of several fictional characters from the numerous Transformers Universes, all of which are the leader of their respective universes incarnation of the evil Decepticons or Predacons. ... Megatron, as he appeared pre-Beast Wars in Dreamwave comics, stealing the Golden Disk. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC nearly every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ... Steve Martin (right) with Scooter, on The Muppet Show Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, musician, and composer. ... Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Paramount Pictures, 1979; see also 1979 in film) is the first feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series and is released on Friday, December 7. ... In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Vger (Vejur in the novelization by Gene Roddenberry) is a fictional sentient life form. ... X-Files intro from first 8 seasons The X-Files was a popular 1990s American science fiction television series created by Chris Carter. ... This article contains episode information and plot summaries from the television show The X-Files. ... Battlefield Earth is the title of both a science fiction novel written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, and a film adaptation of the novel produced by and starring John Travolta. ... Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (13 March 1911 – 24 January 1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard, was a prolific American author and founder of Scientology and Dianetics. ... Psychlo are the most prominent alien race in L. Ron Hubbards book Battlefield Earth. ... Eureka Seven ) is a mecha anime by Bandai Entertainment and BONES. There are 3 video games by Bandai. ... The West Wing is a popular and widely acclaimed American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin and produced and co-written by John Wells. ... Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman. ...

References

• Originally based on public domain text from the NASA Website, where selected images and sounds from the record can be found. However, much of the material from the Voyager records is available in compiled form only to extraterrestrials for copyright reasons [2].
• JPL Voyager FAQ page

1. ^ Sagan, Carl et al. (1978) Murmurs of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record. New York: Random House. ISBN 0394410475 (hardcover), ISBN 0345283961 (paperback)
2. ^ Sagan, Carl et al. (1992) Murmurs of Earth (computer file): The Voyager Interstellar Record. Burbank: Warner New Media.

See also

• Time capsule
• Arecibo message, sent from the Arecibo radiotelescope to inform extraterrestrials about Earth.
• Pioneer plaque — forerunner to the Voyager record; article gives a fuller treatment to interpretation of the plaque's message
• Messages in bottles have been cast into the ocean for centuries.

A time capsule is a historic cache of goods and/or information, usually intended as a method of communication with people in the future. ... Arecibo Observatory This is the message with color added to highlight its separate parts. ... The Arecibo Observatory is located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico on the north coast of the island. ... On board the unmanned spacecraft Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 is a plaque with a pictorial message from mankind. ... A message in a bottle is a form of communication whereby a message is sealed in a container (archetypically a glass bottle) and released into the sea or ocean. ...

External links

• NASA JPL information on the Voyager Interstellar Record
• Web site with all of the images, languages, and sounds on the Record.
• CED Magic Web site information on the Record.
• Cosmic Journey: The Voyager Interstellar Mission and Message
• The Billion Year Portfolio by Jon Lomberg, artist on the Voyager Record
• U Iowa website with Termination Shock information