*Voyager Golden Record – An Anonymous Message*
Somewhere far away, in the cold and dark of space, a small spacecraft is hurtling towards an unknown destination. No one is watching it, no one is waiting for its return, but it is still moving towards its destination. It is NASA’s Voyager, carrying with it an amazing secret: a golden record, preserving the story of Earth, for any possible extraterrestrial beings who might someday discover it.
Why was this record sent?
In the 1970s, when NASA launched the Voyager 1 and 2 missions, scientists realized that these spacecraft would one day travel into interstellar space. If so, why not leave a message on it that could reach another intelligent civilization? Carl Sagan and his team were tasked with crafting a message that would briefly but comprehensively present Earth’s culture, life, and scientific progress. Thus, the “Voyager Golden Record” was created.
What's on the record?
This is a 12-inch gold-plated copper record, originally made in the style of an LP (Long-Playing Record). It stores the following:
Greetings in 55 different languages – Messages from "Hello" to "Peace be upon you" in the languages of various nations, so that if any intelligent beings hear it, they will know that we desire peaceful communication.
Natural sounds of the Earth – Birds chirping, rain, ocean waves, heartbeats, and other natural sounds, which describe the nature of the Earth.
Music – From classical melodies to traditional African, Chinese, and Indian music, and even Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode," so that we can express our creative emotions.
Images – 116 images, including humans, animals, plants, scientific equations, the structure of DNA, and some of the fundamental principles of the universe.
Science and Math – Basic scientific information such as the structure of the hydrogen atom, DNA, the human reproductive system, the location of the Earth, and some basic data about the galaxy.
What if an extraterrestrial civilization discovers it?
The record has detailed instructions engraved on it, telling any intelligent being how to operate it. It has a diagram of a turntable, showing how to spin the record.
Another great thing engraved on it is a “pulsar map,” which shows the location of Earth in our galaxy. This map shows the positions of 14 different neutron stars (Pulsars) and the frequencies of their signals, which could help any intelligent being figure out where Earth is located.
Is Voyager going to meet an alien civilization?
This question has always been on people’s minds, but the fact is that Voyager is not heading towards any specific civilization. It is on a journey without a destination, and it has not encountered any known planets or stars along its way.
Voyager 1 is currently about 24 billion kilometers from Earth and will pass by a star called Gliese 445 in 40,000 years. Voyager 2 is also heading in the same direction, but both are on a journey where the chances of encountering an extraterrestrial civilization are very low.
Will we ever get an answer?
This question is both fascinating and frustrating. Voyager is a message that we put out into space, without knowing if anyone will ever read it. Perhaps millions of years from now, some intelligent being near another star will discover it and wonder if there was once a planet called Earth, inhabited by an intelligent race that dreamed of reaching the stars.
Or maybe it will be lost forever, in some desolate corner, where no one will ever see it. But nevertheless, it is one of humanity's greatest achievements – a message that will remain in the universe forever, free from the constraints of time and distance.
(Compiled by: Dr. Ahmed Naeem)
