Launched September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 is about 1 light-day from home. A light-day is the distance light travels in 24 hours: roughly 16 billion miles (26 billion kilometers). Voyager 1, launched in 1977 and now traveling through interstellar space, is approaching this extraordinary milestone – a distance we once thought impossible for any human-made object to reach.
What does it mean? Right now, when NASA sends a radio signal to Voyager 1, it takes over 22 hours to arrive. The spacecraft is so far away that even traveling at the speed of light, communication requires nearly a full day each way.
For perspective:
*The Moon: 1.3 light-seconds away
*Mars (closest): 3 light-minutes away
*Pluto: 5.5 light-hours away
*Voyager 1: Approaching 1 light-day
