鈥淲HAT I鈥檝e learned from this is that you have to be careful about what you say, and even more careful about how you say it.鈥� So said geologist John Grotzinger at this week鈥檚 announcement of new results from NASA鈥檚 Mars rover, Curiosity 鈥� the subject of frenzied speculation after his earlier unguarded comment that they would be 鈥渇or the history books鈥�.
An enthusiastic specialist鈥檚 idea of history isn鈥檛 the same as that of the public, however 鈥� particularly when it comes to Mars. In the event, the results were intriguing but inconclusive (see 鈥�Curiosity finds carbon 鈥� but is it from Mars?鈥�).
But that wasn鈥檛 the only announcement NASA made about a far-flung robotic explorer that day. The Voyager 1 spacecraft has discovered an unexpected region at the outskirts of the solar system in which the outermost field lines of the sun鈥檚 magnetic field connect with those of interstellar space. Voyager 1 has detected surges of cosmic rays streaming along this 鈥渉ighway鈥� 鈥� a taste of the space between stars.
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The veteran probe鈥檚 departure from the solar system has been protracted 鈥� we first reported it in 2003 鈥� but it may finally be on the exit ramp. That really would be one for the history books.
