3.6 Flying Out of the Solar System
183
Plaque, the binary listing for this pulsar had to be far more precise, to beyond 10
significant digits. In other words, Sagan and Drake should have estimated the pulsar’s
period to a more precise degree, and in the subsequent decades of years, it has been
shown that their estimates are more than slightly wrong. Aliens may not recognize
PSR J1243–6423 as the pulsar described on the Plaque map. Fortunately, the Aliens
that could find and decode the map probably have a pretty fair knowledge of pulsars
throughout the Galaxy, and they have the other thirteen pulsars to help them along.
(3) Trajectory of Pioneer Spacecrafts
In order to determine the specific position of the Earth more accurately, the relative
position of the planets in the solar system and the trajectory of the Pioneer spacecraft
flying out of the Earth are shown at the bottom in Fig. 3.6, where the large circle
stands for the Sun, and the other small circles stand for the major planets of the solar
system, in order of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
and Pluto.
The relative distances of planets are indicated with the binary numbers near them.
It is noted that the serifs on the binary digits “1” are presented to stress that the units are
different from those of the pulsar’s distances and periods, while the binary numbers
represent the semi-major axes of the planetary orbits with one tenth of the semimajor axis of the Mercury’s orbit as a unit, namely about 0.0387 AU. The distances
of the planets relative to the Sun are listed in Table 3.3, respectively represented by
the binary and decimal numbers. The Saturn’s rings drawn sketchily could highlight
the feature of the solar system, so that the solar system is easily distinguished from
thousands of near stars. The Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune were then unknown, their
ring systems are not as easily visible and apparent in the diagram as the Saturn.
The Pluto had been considered to be a planet until 2006 the IAU reclassified it as
a dwarf planet. A small picture of the spacecraft is shown in the diagram, standing
for the Pioneer-10, which flies from the Earth to Mars, over Jupiter, and out of the
solar system. Its antenna is shown pointing approximately back to the Earth. Both the
Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11 carried the identical plaque. However, after launching, the
Pioneer-11 was redirected toward the Saturn and from there it left the solar system,
with the trajectory different from that of the Pioneer-10. In this regard, the Pioneer11 plaque is somewhat inaccurate. Flying by the Saturn, the Pioneer-11 would also
greatly influence its future direction and destination as compared to the Pioneer-10,
but this fact is not depicted in the plaques.
(4) Spacecraft’s Silhouette and Naked Sketch
On the right side in Fig. 3.6, the human bodies of a man and woman in standing
posture are sketched, and the silhouette of the Pioneer spacecraft is shown behind
them. Between the brackets on the far right, the height of the woman is indicated
in the binary number “1000”, namely the decimal number “8”. In unit of wavelength of the hyperfine transition of hydrogen, it means that 8 by 21 cm is equal to
168 cm. The right hand of the man is raised as a sign of good will. Although this
gesture may not be understood, it offers a way to show the opposable thumb and
183
Plaque, the binary listing for this pulsar had to be far more precise, to beyond 10
significant digits. In other words, Sagan and Drake should have estimated the pulsar’s
period to a more precise degree, and in the subsequent decades of years, it has been
shown that their estimates are more than slightly wrong. Aliens may not recognize
PSR J1243–6423 as the pulsar described on the Plaque map. Fortunately, the Aliens
that could find and decode the map probably have a pretty fair knowledge of pulsars
throughout the Galaxy, and they have the other thirteen pulsars to help them along.
(3) Trajectory of Pioneer Spacecrafts
In order to determine the specific position of the Earth more accurately, the relative
position of the planets in the solar system and the trajectory of the Pioneer spacecraft
flying out of the Earth are shown at the bottom in Fig. 3.6, where the large circle
stands for the Sun, and the other small circles stand for the major planets of the solar
system, in order of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
and Pluto.
The relative distances of planets are indicated with the binary numbers near them.
It is noted that the serifs on the binary digits “1” are presented to stress that the units are
different from those of the pulsar’s distances and periods, while the binary numbers
represent the semi-major axes of the planetary orbits with one tenth of the semimajor axis of the Mercury’s orbit as a unit, namely about 0.0387 AU. The distances
of the planets relative to the Sun are listed in Table 3.3, respectively represented by
the binary and decimal numbers. The Saturn’s rings drawn sketchily could highlight
the feature of the solar system, so that the solar system is easily distinguished from
thousands of near stars. The Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune were then unknown, their
ring systems are not as easily visible and apparent in the diagram as the Saturn.
The Pluto had been considered to be a planet until 2006 the IAU reclassified it as
a dwarf planet. A small picture of the spacecraft is shown in the diagram, standing
for the Pioneer-10, which flies from the Earth to Mars, over Jupiter, and out of the
solar system. Its antenna is shown pointing approximately back to the Earth. Both the
Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11 carried the identical plaque. However, after launching, the
Pioneer-11 was redirected toward the Saturn and from there it left the solar system,
with the trajectory different from that of the Pioneer-10. In this regard, the Pioneer11 plaque is somewhat inaccurate. Flying by the Saturn, the Pioneer-11 would also
greatly influence its future direction and destination as compared to the Pioneer-10,
but this fact is not depicted in the plaques.
(4) Spacecraft’s Silhouette and Naked Sketch
On the right side in Fig. 3.6, the human bodies of a man and woman in standing
posture are sketched, and the silhouette of the Pioneer spacecraft is shown behind
them. Between the brackets on the far right, the height of the woman is indicated
in the binary number “1000”, namely the decimal number “8”. In unit of wavelength of the hyperfine transition of hydrogen, it means that 8 by 21 cm is equal to
168 cm. The right hand of the man is raised as a sign of good will. Although this
gesture may not be understood, it offers a way to show the opposable thumb and