In 1977, the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft were launched into space to explore our solar system. Aboard each of these spacecraft is a golden record, featuring content selected by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan.
The original Voyager golden records feature a cover illustration and over 90 minutes of audio on the reverse side.
The cover illustration features a drawing of a phonograph record and the stylus carried with it. The drawing indicates the correct placement of the stylus as well as the rotation speed needed for proper playback of the contents. Below this drawing is a side view of the record and stylus with a binary number showing the time to play the record - about an hour.
The information in the upper right-hand portion of the cover is designed to show how pictures can be constructed from the recorded signals - through tracing the picture as a series of vertical lines. Included is a replica of the first picture on the record to let recipients verify that they have decoded the signals properly. A circle was used to ensure the correct ratio of horizontal to vertical height was used in the reconstruction.
The drawing in the lower left-hand corner was also included in the plaques included on Pioneers 10 and 11. It shows the location of the solar system in relation to 14 pulsars. The drawing containing two circles in the lower right-hand corner is a diagram representing the hydrogen atom in its two lowest states. The line connecting the two circles represents the time interval associated with the transition from one state to another, which is intended to be used as the time scale for the cover and the decoded pictures.
There are over 50 greeting messages in different languages. While the specifics of the messages are likely to be uninterpretable, they would at least convey to the listener the diversity of the creatures who created the Voyagers. Similarly, the musical selections chosen demonstrate a wide range of human musical styles (ranging from works of Beethoven and Stravinsky to those of Chuck Berry, among others). While the lyrics of “Johnny B. Goode” are probably gibberish to an extraterrestrial, the beat and rhythm of the song would convey a tremendous amount to an alien listener.
As Carl Sagan said, "The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced space-faring civilizations in interstellar space. But the launching of this 'bottle' into the cosmic 'ocean' says something very hopeful about life on this planet."
Features:
- Diameter: 12"
- Material: Golden anodized aluminum
- Glossy finish
- Laser etched
- Ships in 100% recycled cardboard LP record slip
Note: This replica record cover is one-sided and is for display purposes only. Not intended to be played on a record player.