Sun ID: 10866

Bubbles At The Edge Of The Solar System

Story by Karen Fox Released on November 24, 2011

After a three-decade journey away from Earth, the two Voyager spacecraft are approaching the outer edges of the solar system. To scientists' surprise, the satellites have revealed a region vastly different than previously modeled. The solar system's boundary is defined by a steady stream of particles known as the solar wind. The solar wind shoots out from the sun until it pushes up against the galactic medium and slows down at a line called the termination shock. Beyond this lies the heliosheath, where the solar wind's journey stops completely. Scientists thought the solar wind turned back smoothly at this point, sweeping back around the outskirts of the solar system. As seen in the video below, Voyager now shows that solar wind hits the heliosheath and piles up into a frothy layer filled with magnetic bubbles. This layer must have an affect on how intense energetic particles from the rest of the universe, called cosmic rays, make it into our solar system. But scientists have yet to figure out if the bubbles help stop the bulk of the rays, or are the prime factor that allows them to enter.

For More Information

NASA.gov

Story Credits

Visualizers/Animators:
Walt Feimer (HTSI)
Michael Lentz (USRA)
Chris Smith (HTSI)
Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)

Video Editor:
Scott Wiessinger (USRA)

Narrator:
Scott Wiessinger (USRA)

Producer:
Scott Wiessinger (USRA)

Lead Scientist:
Merav Opher (Boston University)

Lead Writer:
Karen Fox (ADNET Systems, Inc.)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10866

Keywords:
DLESE >> Narrated
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Sun