interstellar space

Winds of Change at the Edge of the Solar System

August 7, 2012

Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter As the venerable Voyager 1 spacecraft hurtles ever outward, breaking through the very borders of our solar system at staggering speeds upwards of 35,000 mph, it’s sending back information about the curious region of space where the Sun’s outward flow of [...]

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Voyager 1 Breaking Through the Borders of the Solar System

June 15, 2012

After almost 35 years traveling at over 35,000 mph, the venerable (and still operational!) Voyager 1 spacecraft is truly breaking through to the other side, crossing the outermost boundaries of our solar system into interstellar space — over 11 billion miles from home. Remove this ad

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Termination Shock

November 1, 2011

At the termination shock of any solar system the solar wind slows to subsonic speeds as it interacts with the interstellar medium. This change in speed and interaction causes compression, heating, and a change in the magnetic field. Scientists theorize that the termination shock in our solar system is 75 to 90 AU from the [...]

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Heliopause

November 1, 2011

The heliopause is the theoretical boundary where the solar wind and interstellar wind counter balance each other. The area will remain a virtual mystery until Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 enter it on their way out of our solar system. Voyager 1 should be the first to arrive, entering in 2014. There are multiple theories [...]

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