Interstellar winds buffeting our solar system have shifted direction

Interstellar winds buffeting our solar system have shifted direction
September 06, 2013

DURHAM, N.H. - Scientists, including University of New Hampshire astrophysicists involved in NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission, have discovered that the particles streaming into the solar system from interstellar space have likely changed direction over the last 40 years.

The finding helps scientists map our location within the Milky Way galaxy and is crucial for understanding our place in the cosmos through the vast sweep of time-where we've come from, where we're currently located, and where we're going in our journey through the galaxy.

Additionally, scientists now gain deeper insight into the dynamic nature of the interstellar winds, which has major implications on the size, structure, and nature of our sun's heliosphere-the gigantic bubble that surrounds our solar system and helps shield us from dangerous incoming galactic radiation.

The results, based on data spanning four decades from 11 different spacecraft, including IBEX, were published in the journal Science September 5, 2013.

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http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/88769/Interstellar_winds_buffeting_our_solar_system_have_shifted_direction.html