The following is an article detailing the second man made object to reach Inter stellar space, or that region where the Sun’s flow of material and magnetic field no longer affect its surroundings. 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-11/parkes-radio-telescope-tracks-nasa-spacecraft/10605106

NASA confirms Voyager 2's crossing into interstellar space as Parkes tracks its progress

ABC Central West 

By Joanna Woodburn and Kathleen Ferguson

Updated yesterday at 4:14pm

PHOTO: NASA's Voyager 2 has crossed through the heliosphere into interstellar space. (Supplied: NASA )

 

NASA has confirmed that Voyager 2 is now in interstellar space, some 18 billion kilometres from Earth — and its progress is being tracked from central-west New South Wales.

The probe, launched in 1977, is the second human-made craft ever to enter interstellar space. The first was its partner, Voyager 1, which made the crossing in 2012.

Since early November the CSIRO's Parkes Radio Telescope has been tracking Voyager 2, which can no longer be observed from the northern hemisphere.

more at link.......

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Edited December 11, 20187 yr by beecee

Wow, it was lunched in the 70’s, I can barely remember it. That puts the cosmic scale into persoective doesn’t it. 

13 minutes ago, koti said:

Wow, it was lunched in the 70’s, I can barely remember it. That puts the cosmic scale into persoective doesn’t it. 

Yep, Voyager 11 actually showed that when the opportunity did present itself, [a planetary alignment] that Newtonian mechanics could enable us to rendezvous with all four of the gaseous and ice giants of the outer solar system, a feat in itself, and an indication of how powerful the superseded use of Newtonian mechanics could be.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2

Path viewed from above the solar system

 

Path viewed from side, showing distance below ecliptic in gray

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2

Edited December 11, 20187 yr by beecee

Something fabricated leaving our solar system.

Isn't this when they realize we have become semi-intelligent... and come and destroy us?

Not to minimize this phenomenal achievement, Voyager 1 already did this over 6 years ago. 

A great special called The Farthest that I very much enjoyed available here (is on netflix, too): 

 

22 minutes ago, iNow said:

Not to minimize this phenomenal achievement, Voyager 1 already did this over 6 years ago.

Voyager 1 skipped a few planets to look at a not very interesting moon, which might be considered cheating.

How would we know how interesting it is or is not were it not for V’Gers trip?

19 minutes ago, iNow said:

How would we know how interesting it is or is not were it not for V’Gers trip?

Seems a bit pointless to have a once in 176 years Grand Tour and give up halfway.

If Voyager 2 had failed it would still be possible to claim that moon was more interesting than Uranus or Neptune.

 

1 hour ago, iNow said:

Not to minimize this phenomenal achievement, Voyager 1 already did this over 6 years ago. 

A great special called The Farthest that I very much enjoyed available here (is on netflix, too): 

Agreed, on "The Farthest" doco...excellent stuff.

50 minutes ago, Carrock said:

Voyager 1 skipped a few planets to look at a not very interesting moon, which might be considered cheating.

I'm not sure if that is entirely right, but I'm open for correction. I was of the opinion that due to its trajectory it was only ever meant to have a close encounter with Jupiter and Saturn...The Titan decision was simply convenient I think.

A great scientific achievement.

6 hours ago, beecee said:

I'm not sure if that is entirely right, but I'm open for correction. I was of the opinion that due to its trajectory it was only ever meant to have a close encounter with Jupiter and Saturn...The Titan decision was simply convenient I think.

I was exaggerating about the moon, but I recall discussion about diverting both Voyagers; [religion] the decision makers did not have faith that the Voyagers could survive another planetary encounter[/religion].

Amazing spacecraft....

On 12/12/2018 at 4:52 AM, beecee said:

Path viewed from side, showing distance below ecliptic in gray

Wow! I never knew it went so far off the ecliptic! You learn something new every day. What happened between 1989 and 1991 that caused it to deviate so sharply?

1 hour ago, pavelcherepan said:

Wow! I never knew it went so far off the ecliptic! You learn something new every day. What happened between 1989 and 1991 that caused it to deviate so sharply?

The planets in our solar system finished so the planetary mission ended and then began the interstellar one. 

Or maybe you mean: 
 

Quote

Following a mid-course correction in 1987, Voyager 2's closest approach to Neptune occurred on August 25, 1989. Through repeated computerized test simulations of trajectories through the Neptunian system conducted in advance, flight controllers determined the best way to route Voyager 2 through the Neptune-Triton system. Since the plane of the orbit of Triton is tilted significantly with respect to the plane of the ecliptic, through mid-course corrections, Voyager 2 was directed into a path about 4950 kilometers (3000 mi) above the north pole of Neptune.

 

More here:
Voyager 2 Change-of-course Maneuver Successful
https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/news/details.php?article_id=66