Voyager 1 Reaches One Light-Day from Earth

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has reached a very special distance from Earth. It is now one light-day away. This means light takes one day to travel from Earth to Voyager 1. No human-made object has ever gone this far before.

On November 17, after sunset, people worldwide are invited to celebrate this moment. They can shine lights into the sky to send a signal to Voyager 1. NASA even made a tool that flashes the letters V-G-R in Morse code on your phone or tablet.

People can also use a flashlight or other light sources to send Morse code by turning the light on and off. The code for V is three short flashes and one long flash. G is two long flashes and one short flash. R is one short flash, one long flash, and one short flash.

Voyager 1 has been traveling for nearly fifty years. It carries a Golden Record with sounds and messages from Earth. This record even has a Morse code message that means “through struggle to the stars.” The spacecraft shows how far human technology can go.

This celebration is a simple but important way for people on Earth to connect with Voyager 1. By shining light together, we honor this amazing journey into space and the unknown.