- Voyager Spacecraft Data: New Findings. Credit: NASA/JPL
A new computer model of the solar system based on data gathered by NASA’s enduring Voyager space probes indicates that the edge of the solar system — the heliosheath — is not smooth.
Rather, it is filled with a turbulent sea of magnetic bubbles.
Boston University astronomer Merav Opher and other scientists are set to reveal today the latest Voyager data suggesting that the picture of this previously unexplored region needs to be revised.
This new understanding of the edge of the heliosheath emerged through computer simulations that attempt to explain the Voyager spacecraft observations.
The new information being released today is critical to understanding how cosmic rays are created and reach near-Earth space. Galactic cosmic rays are of concern for human space travel, in particular during the quiet periods called the solar minimum.
Mileage-plus!
For those keeping track of the mileage: Voyager 1 is now about 11 billion miles (17.7 billion kilometers) from Earth. Voyager 2 is about 9 billion miles (14.5 billion km) away.
Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object in the universe.
Boston University’s Opher notes that the Voyager data led to the discovery of how interstellar magnetic fields play a major role in shaping the heliosphere, producing assymetries that are measurable.
“We are arriving at the notion that the magnetic field outside our home, earth, is strong and important enough to influence and shape its structure,” she notes in a press statement.
Supporting information for the briefing at NASA Headquarters later today will be posted at:
Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live on the Web at:
By Leonard David