dkf295 t1_je21y5x wrote
Reply to comment by remorsefulDownfall in ELI5 How do scientists know probes (Like Voyager I) aren't going to get swept up in the orbit of another celestial body? by remorsefulDownfall
It's not impossible, however it would be like dropping 8 beach balls and a few dozen tennis balls in random parts of the pacific ocean, and then plotting a random course across the pacific ocean without hitting any of those balls. Sure it's POSSIBLE you could hit one of those balls, but given the vast size of the ocean and the comparatively tiny size of the balls, the chances are pretty darn close to zero.
Only instead of like that, about a million times less likely.
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