Major News
15 October 2009: First complete set of results from IBEX
The IBEX first heliospheric results and sky maps have been presented to the scientific community and public audience. The first results are summarized in five papers published by Science Magazine. The sky maps of hydrogen energetic atoms in different energy bands show unexpected features. In addition, the IBEX team has published the first ever direct detection of interstellar neutral hydrogen and oxygen, drifting into the heliosphere from the interstellar medium.|
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Energetic Neutral Atom flux at 1.1 keV. Credit: Southwest Research Institute. |
19 October 2008: Launch of IBEX
The first NASA spacecraft to image and map the dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into the cold expanse of space launched from an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket at 1:48 p.m. EDT on Oct. 19, 2008 from the Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands (South Pacific, a few degrees north of the equator). The IBEX spacecraft will conduct extremely high-altitude orbits above Earth (bringing it quite close to the Moon at times) to investigate and capture images of processes taking place at the farthest reaches of the solar system. Known as the interstellar boundary, this region marks where the solar system meets interstellar space.|
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Artist's impression of IBEX exploring the edge of our solar system. Credit: NASA GSFC. |
30 August 2007: Voyager 2 passes the termination shock.
Further reading:
Announcement
Publication in Nature (Volume 454 Number 7200)
16 December 2004: Voyager 1 passes the termination shock.
Further reading:
Announcement
Publication in Science press release
Additional News
060921 Voyager 1 deep in the heliosheath041204 Interstellar helium in the heliosphere
040727 Heliosphere: Its role as a galactic shield
040713 Voyager 1 just ahead of termination shock
040317 Ulysses extended mission
030422 Solar magnetic field at solar maximum
000424 Interstellar dust in the heliosphere
990408 Setting sails for the stars
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