Voyager 1, launched by NASA in 1977, is the farthest human-made object from Earth. As of now, it’s over 159 astronomical units (AU) away from the Sun, with 1 AU being the distance from Earth to the Sun. This means Voyager 1 is nearly 159 times farther from the Sun than Earth is!

Voyager 1, along with three other probes—Voyager 2, Pioneer 10, and Pioneer 11—is one of only four spacecraft leaving our solar system. While Voyager 1 has already entered interstellar space, it still has a long journey ahead before reaching the next major milestone: the Oort Cloud, a theoretical sphere of icy bodies surrounding our solar system. This cloud is thought to start at about 2,000 AU. At its current speed of 3.6 AU per year, Voyager 1 would take more than 500 years to reach it!

So, while Voyager 1 is far from Earth, it’s still relatively close when considering the vast distances of space.

— map / TST —

In 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft began their pioneering journey across the Solar System to visit the giant outer planets. Now, the Voyagers are hurtling through unexplored territory on their road trip beyond our Solar System. Along the way, they are measuring the interstellar medium, the mysterious environment between stars that is filled with the debris from long-dead stars. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is providing the roadmap, by measuring the material along the probes' trajectories as they move through space. Hubble finds a rich, complex interstellar ecology, containing multiple clouds of hydrogen, laced with other elements. Hubble data, combined with the Voyagers, have also provided new insights into how our sun travels through interstellar space.

Michael Alan Prestwood
Author & Natural Philosopher

Prestwood writes on science-first philosophy, with particular attention to the convergence of disciplines. Drawing on his TST Framework, his work emphasizes rational inquiry grounded in empirical observation while engaging questions at the edges of established knowledge. With TouchstoneTruth positioned as a living touchstone, this work aims to contribute reliable, evolving analysis in an emerging AI era where the credibility of information is increasingly contested.