interstellar

In August 2019, an amateur astronomer in Crimea spotted a faint smudge moving at impossible speed. It turned out to be a comet from another star system — only the second interstellar object ever confirmed in our solar system, and the first one to look genuinely familiar.

What's actually on the gold disc bolted to Voyager 1 and 2, how aliens could play it, and where the spacecraft are headed next.

Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and 2 are now in interstellar space — and still phoning home after nearly five decades.

The nearest star is 4.24 light-years away — roughly 40 trillion kilometres. Reaching it with current technology would take 80,000 years. What would it actually take to become a civilisation that spans multiple star systems?

Launched in 1977, the two Voyagers are still flying. Voyager 1 is now over 25 billion km from Earth, both have entered interstellar space, and they carry a golden record meant for any aliens who might find them.