Well, Voyager 1's data now takes this long to reach us. It continues after it has sailed through the asymmetrical termination shock, is currently in the heliosheath and looking for signs of the heliopause. V1 continues to astound with its tirelessness and wealth of information.
Beginning last June, was within the heliosheath- the area where outgoing flows of solar wind begin to be repelled by interstellar particles and magnetic fields pushing towards the solar system. While passing through the heliosheath, Voyager 1 experienced many sudden and drastic changes in the surrounding magnetic field driven by structures called current sheets from the interacting helio and interstellar plasma flows. Here is a graphic of the solar current sheet out to Jupiter- it spirals out into space as the sun rotates (easy explanation).
In December, Voyager 1 had reached a distant point at the edge of our solar system where there is no outward motion of solar wind.
It was announced this past Friday that the point of interstellar space (the heliopause) is in need of recalculation- V1 is passing markers earlier than previously thought. The thinking now is that this point is 11-14 billion miles out and since Voyager 1 is already at 11 billion miles out, it could cross into interstellar space at any time; Voyager 1's heliocentric velocity is about a billion miles every three years.
Here is a good kitchen sink analogy to what is going on here although beyond the end of the teal line is where the analogy fails as there is no inward water flow from the "interstellar medium" so the dynamics would be different. V1 would be a bit beyond the end of that teal line right now.
Very cool stuff from humanity's scientific endeavors!
Yours cosmically,
Tyler
Beginning last June, was within the heliosheath- the area where outgoing flows of solar wind begin to be repelled by interstellar particles and magnetic fields pushing towards the solar system. While passing through the heliosheath, Voyager 1 experienced many sudden and drastic changes in the surrounding magnetic field driven by structures called current sheets from the interacting helio and interstellar plasma flows. Here is a graphic of the solar current sheet out to Jupiter- it spirals out into space as the sun rotates (easy explanation).
In December, Voyager 1 had reached a distant point at the edge of our solar system where there is no outward motion of solar wind.
It was announced this past Friday that the point of interstellar space (the heliopause) is in need of recalculation- V1 is passing markers earlier than previously thought. The thinking now is that this point is 11-14 billion miles out and since Voyager 1 is already at 11 billion miles out, it could cross into interstellar space at any time; Voyager 1's heliocentric velocity is about a billion miles every three years.
Here is a good kitchen sink analogy to what is going on here although beyond the end of the teal line is where the analogy fails as there is no inward water flow from the "interstellar medium" so the dynamics would be different. V1 would be a bit beyond the end of that teal line right now.
Very cool stuff from humanity's scientific endeavors!
Yours cosmically,
Tyler
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