09/29/2026
In 1977, NASA launched 2 probes, known as Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, into space with the primary mission of exploring Saturn and Jupiter. After making several discoveries, they extended their missions to explore the outermost edges of the Sun's domain. And beyond.
Aboard each of the Voyager probes are 2-inch, long-playing phonograph records that are encoded with sounds and images from Earth. The purpose of the "golden records" are to provide an introduction to human life and culture should they be discovered by extraterrestrial aliens.
Earlier this school year, the Education and Engagement Manager of the Arizona Astrobiology Center at the University of Arizona reached out to Edge High School with the idea of having our students create a new golden record that would include sounds, images, music, etc. specific to the Sonoran Desert region. 10 of our students are now meeting with an undergraduate student from the center each week to compile what they believe captures the essence of the Sonoran Desert.
On February 19th - 21st, 2027, the golden record that Edge students have been working on will be displayed at the annual Art of Planetary Science show located in the Kuiper Space Science Building. This years theme is "As We Float on By: 50 Golden Years of Voyager". Please make sure you put this on your calendars because this is an event you won't want to miss!
You can learn more about The Art of Planetary Science show by following this link: https://lpl.arizona.edu/art/
