astronomy

- Voyager 1 - on this virtual space journey. The Voyager 1 probe is now more than 23 billion kilometres away. This is a considerable distance which is the result of a 44-year journey. To give you a great example of how far a light year actually is, it will take Voyager 1 (NASA's longestlived spacecraft) over 17,000 years to reach 1 light year in distance travelling at a speed of 61,000 kph. Onboard the craft is an amazing golden record which contains sounds and images which communicate life and culture here on Earth to any intelligent life form it may

Onboard the craft is an amazing golden record which contains sounds and images which communicate life and culture here on Earth encounter. Shall we take a quick look as we pass on our way? Included are natural sounds (including some made by animals), musical selections from different cultures and eras, spoken greetings in 59 languages, human sounds like footsteps and laughter, and printed messages from President Jimmy Carter and UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim.

Fun Facts

India made history on August the 23rd when they successfully landed on the southern pole region of the Moon. The mission is part of the longer term endeavour which is exploring the possibility of man inhabiting the Moon. As part of this mission the Pragyan rover will be measuring temperatures and seismic activity on and beneath the surface of the Moon.

Many man-made objects have been left behind on the Moon over the years. The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 (Lunik 2) was the first humanmade object to reach another world when it crashed into the Moon on 14th September 1959. The NASA Catalogue of Man Made objects on the Moon lists 796 items. Amongst this list is included flags, photographs, plaques from Earth, spacecraft debris, hammers, geological tools, and 96 waste bags! Join

Indian lunar lander Chandrayaan-3 successfully touched down on the lunar surface on August 23, 2023, making India the fourth nation to successfully land on the Moon and the first to land in the south pole region