01 JAN 2012 by ideonexus
The Pioneer 10 Plaque
On the title page of this chapter is shown the message. It is etched on a 6-inch
by 9-inch gold-anodized aluminum plate, attached to the antenna support struts of
Pioneer 10. The expected erosion rate in interstellar space is sufficiently small that this message should remain intact for hundreds of millions of years, and probably
for a much longer period of time. It is, thus, the artifact of mankind with the
longest expected lifetime.
The message itself intends to communicate the locale, ep...Carl Sagan describes everything that went into the symbolism of this message sent to the stars.