Could we get that same data in 2012 with the Hubble or something?
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Data is data, some of it could be obtained by different methods today but Voyager data is useful because it is dated. It serves as a basis of comparison. It would be like looking at an old picture of a beach and then a recent one. What changed? Why did it change? As we gain more and more data we can make a greater range of comparisons.
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You're the one who brought in the Hubble into this issue. If you actually KNEW anything about both the Hubble and the Voyager and Galileo spacecraft that did the close in work at Jupiter, you would understand that the proximity to Jupiter and it's moons was crucial for the data that the Voyagers got and that the Hubble CANNOT getfrom Earth orbit.
Don't be snarky at others for pointing out YOUR basic error.
Don't be snarky at others for pointing out YOUR basic error.
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No, we could only get that today by putting a spacecraft in the same position as the Voyagers. The Hubble is a light telescope. All it can do is examine what it can see from a distance. The Voyager is actually out there and can measure the local state of affairs. It has different instruments.
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Voyager and Hubble were built with very different instruments and goals. No, one can't do what the other does, and yes, people are still using Voyager data even today.