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What is Heliopause?

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  The heliopause is the theoretical border where the Sun's solar wind is stopped by the interstellar medium. It defines the outer boundary of the heliosphere, the vast magnetic bubble surrounding our solar system. At this boundary, the outward dynamic pressure of the ionized gas (plasma) ejected by the Sun balances the inward pressure of the interstellar gas and magnetic fields from the Milky Way galaxy: P solar wind = P interstellar medium Structure of the Heliospheric Boundary The transition from solar dominance to interstellar space occurs across three primary layers: Termination Shock: The inner boundary where the supersonic solar wind abruptly slows down to subsonic speeds as it collides with the interstellar medium, causing intense turbulence and heating. Heliosheath: The thick, highly turbulent region beyond the termination shock where the slowed solar wind interacts directly with incoming interstellar gas. Heliopause: The sharp outer surface of the heliosheath wher...
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Voyager Mission Nearing One Light Day!

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  The NASA Voyager program consists of twin robotic probes— Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 —launched in 1977 to explore the outer solar system and the interstellar space beyond. They are the longest-operating and farthest-traveling human-made objects in history. The Planetary "Grand Tour" The mission exploited a rare geometric alignment of the outer planets that occurs only once every 175 years. This alignment allowed the spacecraft to use gravity assists (slingshot maneuvers around massive planets) to boost their speed and trajectory from one giant planet to the next, drastically reducing the fuel and flight time required to reach the outer solar system. Key Mission Highlights Voyager 1: Launched on September 5, 1977, on a faster trajectory than its twin. It performed close flybys of Jupiter (1979) and Saturn (1980). A targeted flyby of Saturn’s moon Titan diverted it out of the ecliptic plane, sending it heading out of the solar system. In 1990, it captured the famou...
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