• Question: how long would it take a satellite to leave the solar system?

    Asked by will to Simon, Julia, Delma, Andrew, Alex on 15 Dec 2015.
    • Photo: Delma Childers

      Delma Childers answered on 15 Dec 2015:

      Voyager 1 recently left our solar system. It took over 36 years! 🚀

    • Photo: Alexander Finch

      Alexander Finch answered on 15 Dec 2015:

      Like with asking how long it takes to drive somewhere, the answer depends on how fast you’re going!

      Delma is right that the Voyager probes, which left the Solar System recently, have been flying for aaaagggggeees. But – the New Horizons probe, which past Pluto a few months ago and also left the Solr System, has only taken 10 years.

      So, it depends how fas the probe is going! With Voyager, they didn’t want to go so fast because they wanted to look at the planets they were passing by, but New Horizons went really fast to get to Pluto quick!

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