Spacecraft escaping the Solar System

Distance from Sun (AU)      Pioneer 10: 125.220      Pioneer 11: 103.732      Voyager 2: 122.804      Voyager 1: 148.103      New Horizons: 46.357                                                                                                                                  

Speed relative to Sun (km/s)      Pioneer 10: 11.934      Pioneer 11: 11.224      Voyager 2: 15.326      Voyager 1: 16.967      New Horizons: 13.975       
Ecliptic latitude      Pioneer 10: 3°      Pioneer 11:  14°      Voyager 2: -37°      Voyager 1: 35°      New Horizons: 2°

Declination      Pioneer 10:  25° 57′      Pioneer 11:  -8° 57′      Voyager 2:  -57° 58′      Voyager 1: 12° 2′      New Horizons: -20° 28′
Right ascension      Pioneer 10:  5^h 10^m      Pioneer 11:  18^h 52^m      Voyager 2: 20^h 2^m      Voyager 1:  17^h 15^m      New Horizons: 19^h 12^m

    Constellation      Pioneer 10:  Taurus       Pioneer 11: Scutum        Voyager 2:  Pavo        Voyager 1:  Ophiuchus        New Horizons: Sagittarius

Distance from Earth (AU)      Pioneer 10: 124.471      Pioneer 11: 104.650      Voyager 2:  123.581      Voyager 1: 148.694      New Horizons: 47.317

 One-way light time (hours)      Pioneer 10:  17.20      Pioneer 11:  14.51      Voyager 2:  17.13      Voyager 1: 20.61      New Horizons: 6.5

    Brightness of Sun from spacecraft (Magnitude)      Pioneer 10:  -16.2      Pioneer 11:  -16.6      Voyager 2:  -16.3      Voyager 1: -15.8      New Horizons: -18.4

 Spacecraft still functioning?     … Continue Reading...

For Ezra Pound:

“April is the cruellest month, breeding


Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

Winter kept us warm, covering

Earth in forgetful snow, feeding

A little life with dried tubers.”… Continue Reading...

In 2019, the full Moon of March rises on the same day as the vernal equinox—marking the start of spring!

March also brings the final supermoon of 2019.

The March full Moon is particularly special because it reaches its peak on the same day as the spring equinox, on March 20, 2019.… Continue Reading...