Articles tagged with Heliosphere
A Southwest Research Institute-led team observed a total solar eclipse from above the cloud cover using NASA's WB-57 aircraft. The mission revealed high-resolution images of the solar corona and a massive prominence erupting from the Sun, providing valuable insights into the Sun's outer atmosphere.
Researchers used the NSF Inouye Solar Telescope to capture high-resolution images of swirling vortices in the sun's photosphere, which are believed to be the 'engine' driving twisting magnetic field lines. This discovery could fundamentally change our understanding of solar dynamics and evolution.
Researchers discovered that the solar wind slows down by 13-15% as it approaches the outer boundary of the heliosphere, aligning with previous models. This slowdown is crucial for understanding the impact of interstellar material on long-term space travel.
Scientists predict that New Horizons will encounter the termination shock as early as 2029 or as late as 2040, helping improve understanding of heliosphere interactions with interstellar space. The research aims to prepare for future missions exploring solar system boundaries.
Researchers use helioseismology to track sound waves inside the Sun, finding a gradual change in structure just beneath the surface that spans multiple cycles. This discovery reveals a shift towards more tightly confined magnetic activity near the surface, with implications for space weather predictions.
A University of Arizona-led research team has measured the dynamics and ever-changing hot gas shell from where the solar wind originates. The study helps scientists answer fundamental questions about energy and matter moving through the heliosphere, affecting space weather events and planetary orbits.
The CoDICE instrument has successfully collected first-light data from IMAP, measuring energized particles from interstellar space, the solar wind, and solar energetic particles. This will provide a better understanding of our place in the universe by studying the interaction between the interstellar medium and the solar wind.
The PUNCH mission has made significant advancements in imaging the Sun's outer atmosphere and solar wind. The spacecraft has tracked enormous coronal mass ejections, providing a unique view of space weather events and their impact on our planet.
The NASA IMAP mission aims to explore the boundary of the heliosphere, where solar material collides with interstellar space. The SwRI-developed CoDICE sensor will measure the distribution and composition of interstellar pickup ions.
Surya is a visual AI model trained on massive amounts of solar data, leveraging NASA's deep scientific expertise in cutting-edge AI models. The system aims to determine the Sun's magnetic field generation and structure, as well as its impact on the heliosphere and geospace.
Astronomers captured dark coronal loop strands with unprecedented clarity during an X1.3-class flare, measuring 48.2 km in width, the smallest ever imaged. The team's high-resolution images offer a potential breakthrough in resolving the fundamental scale of solar coronal loops and improving space weather forecasting.
The CoDICE instrument will measure energized interstellar and solar particles to better understand the boundary of the heliosphere. The instrument will also characterize solar wind ions and the mass and composition of highly energized solar particles associated with flares and coronal mass ejections.
The PUNCH mission has successfully imaged a huge solar eruption, providing unprecedented views of coronal mass ejections and the solar wind. The spacecraft constellation is enabling scientists to better understand and predict space weather events that can disrupt communications and endanger satellites.
A Southwest Research Institute-led study using NASA's Parker Solar Probe has identified a new source of energetic particles in the nascent solar wind. The research found that magnetic reconnection near the heliospheric current sheet heats the solar atmosphere and accelerates charged particles to near-relativistic speeds.
Scientists have developed a groundbreaking adaptive optics system that removes blur from images of the Sun's corona, revealing clearest images to date. The technology has produced remarkable observations of fine-structure in the corona, including raindrops and turbulent internal flows.
A new study by SwRI scientists reveals that solar energetic particles (SEPs) can be twice as fast as the solar wind and are more effectively accelerated to higher energies due to their distinct velocity distribution. This discovery is crucial for understanding radiation hazards to astronauts.
The study provides a new look at the galactic region surrounding our solar system, revealing a roughly uniform background Lyman alpha sky brightness. The findings suggest hot interstellar gas bubbles may be regions of enhanced hydrogen gas emissions at a wavelength called Lyman alpha.
The PUNCH mission has successfully collected its first images of the solar corona using four small spacecraft that act as a single virtual instrument. The images show the outer atmosphere of the Sun in stunning detail, with scientists aiming to remove background light and preserve the faint signal of the solar wind.
The NRL-developed Narrow Field Imager is a compact coronagraph that will image the transition of the Sun's atmosphere to the solar wind, gaining insights into space plasma environments. The PUNCH mission aims to improve prediction and mitigation of space weather events like coronal mass ejections.
The PUNCH spacecraft will study the solar corona and track space weather events in three dimensions for the first time. The constellation includes four small suitcase-sized spacecraft that will provide a clear view of the Sun's outer atmosphere, allowing scientists to discern the exact trajectory and speed of coronal mass ejections.
The PUNCH mission will study the solar corona and its impact on the solar wind, improving space weather forecasting capabilities. The four small spacecraft, launched by NASA's Small Explorers program, will create a virtual instrument to image the Sun's corona, revealing previously invisible phenomena.
The PUNCH mission will integrate understanding of the Sun's corona and solar wind. The constellation will deploy in polar orbit, enabling scientists to routinely see and understand the solar wind.
Scientists have discovered how the Sun's supersonic solar wind receives energy, thanks to a lucky alignment of NASA and ESA spacecraft. The fastest solar winds are powered by magnetic switchbacks, which deposit enough energy to account for heating and acceleration in the solar wind.
Astrophysicists calculate that two million years ago, the solar system encountered a cold, harsh interstellar cloud, which may have interfered with the sun's solar wind and affected Earth's climate. The heliosphere, a protective plasma shield, was compressed in such a way that it briefly placed Earth outside its influence.
Researchers used data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe to explain how the solar wind surpasses speeds of 1 million miles per hour. The energy released from the magnetic field near the sun's surface drives the fast solar wind, comprising ionized particles flowing outward from the sun.
Researchers have observed long, web-like plasma structures in the Sun's middle corona, which discharge particles into space through interactions within the structures. This innovative observation method could lead to a better understanding of the solar wind's origins and its interactions with the rest of the solar system.
A Boston University–led team has won a major new grant from NASA to continue advancing its breakthrough work in heliophysics. The funding will also support the team’s efforts to diversify the field of space physics, with a focus on outreach and mentorship for underrepresented groups.
The Solar Ring mission aims to study the Sun and its influence on the inner heliosphere using a novel six-spacecraft configuration. The mission will provide unprecedented capabilities, including determining the photospheric vector magnetic field with unambiguity and resolving solar wind structures at multiple scales.
Researchers have devised a new three-dimensional model of the heliosphere, breaking down charged particles into two groups to understand its shape. The 'croissant' with a long tail and the beach ball models are now reconciled, revealing a unique shape that splits the difference between them.
Dusan Odstrcil and his team are developing a high-quality heliospheric model using Python to accelerate visualization and increase output availability. ENLIL--a time-dependent MHD model--is the only code that can simulate coronal mass ejections up to Jupiter or Saturn orbit.
The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission will investigate the heliosphere, surrounding our solar system, and collect data on particle acceleration and interaction with interstellar medium. The $492-million mission includes 10 instruments to resolve scientific questions about the solar wind and cosmic rays.
The IBEX mission has created the first global maps of how our heliosphere interacts with interstellar space, revealing significant changes over time. The mission also directly measures interstellar neutral atoms flowing into the solar system.
A team of scientists from the University of New Hampshire led the study, using IBEX to create high-fidelity maps of the solar system boundary. The research reveals a higher temperature than previously reported for the interstellar wind.
The IBEX spacecraft has provided the most definitive analyses of the local interstellar space, revealing its composition, properties, and processes at work. The mission's data has resolved inconsistencies in previous studies, confirming that the local interstellar flow is significantly hotter than previously thought.
A unique comet, not part of a known family, survives its trip to within 2.2 million miles of the sun's surface. This is one of the few instances where a comet has been observed and recorded by SOHO in recent years.
Researchers propose a new model showing the sun's magnetic field controls the shape of the heliosphere by accelerating solar wind into two jets. This understanding could have implications for future space travel and help us comprehend the filter protecting the solar system from galactic cosmic rays.
Scientists discover that the sun's magnetic field controls the large-scale shape of the heliosphere, producing two jets that split its tail, similar to astrophysical jets observed in other stars and black holes. The discovery could lead to better understanding of particle acceleration, cosmic rays, and space travel protection.
The Voyager and IBEX missions have greatly expanded our understanding of the outer heliosphere, providing detailed information about interactions at its edge. Recent studies have focused on the enigmatic ribbon of enhanced emissions, which was only detected by IBEX in 2009.
The Hydrogen Polarimetric Explorer mission will measure the nature of interplanetary hydrogen, providing insights into the size and shape of the heliosphere and its interactions with the local interstellar medium. The sounding rocket's results will be combined with other NASA missions to improve models of the heliospheric boundary.
Recent measurements have validated IBEX's signature finding on the local interstellar magnetic field direction. The consistent picture reveals how the heliosphere is shaped by the interstellar magnetic field, influencing cosmic rays and life on Earth.
A gigantic coronal hole has been observed by NASA's SOHO near the sun's north pole, providing valuable insights into space weather. The coronal hole is a dark region of the sun's corona with lower temperatures and appears much darker than its surroundings.
The IBEX spacecraft has provided the first complete pictures of the solar system's downwind region, revealing a unique and unexpected structure. The images show two lobes dominating the downwind side of the solar system, which researchers initially thought was the heliotail but is now believed to be separate structures.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) detected a M7-class solar flare on May 22, 2013, accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME was not Earth-directed but may cause disruptions to satellites and electronic systems.
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has traveled beyond the influence of the Sun and exited the heliosphere, a region dominated by the Sun's wind. Anomalous cosmic rays dropped to less than 1% of previous amounts while galactic cosmic rays spiked to levels not seen since launch.
The study found that the heliosphere moves through the interstellar medium at about 52,000 miles per hour, slow enough to create a bow wave rather than a shock. This new data contradicts previous theories and has implications for how galactic cosmic rays propagate around the solar system.
Eberhard Möbius, a professor at the University of New Hampshire, has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union for his exceptional scientific contributions to space plasma physics. His work on pickup ions in the solar wind and the development of state-of-the-art instrumentation have far-reaching applications in gala...
A 'knot' in a bright, narrow ribbon of neutral atoms emanating from the solar system's edge appears to have 'untied,' according to researchers. The knot, influenced by local interstellar magnetic fields, was found to be stable over six-month periods but displayed changes in polar regions and diminished as it spread out.
The IBEX spacecraft reveals a 'ribbon' of intense emissions controlled by galaxy's magnetic fields, forcing scientists to reconsider basic assumptions about the heliosphere. This discovery may impact Earth's history and pose hazards to astronauts as galactic radiation levels change.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University present a new view of the region of the sun's influence, suggesting that the heliosphere may not have a comet-like shape. The Cassini spacecraft's images reveal that particle pressure and magnetic field energy density control the shape of the heliosphere.
UNH's Space Science Center played a crucial role in the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission, which has provided groundbreaking maps of the boundary between our solar system and the interstellar medium. The mission's data reveals new insights into the interactions between the solar wind and interstellar gas, including the form...
IBEX maps show a narrow ribbon of intense emissions at the edge of the solar system, contradicting previous theories. The data suggests the interstellar environment has a significant influence on the heliosphere's structure.
Researchers aim to understand the structure and dynamics of the heliosphere using cosmic rays to probe its outer environment. The project has potential implications for space weather forecasting and keeping astronauts safe from hazardous space radiation.
A new computer simulation shows how a small cosmic cloud could suddenly burst the heliosphere, potentially leading to catastrophic climate changes and increased exposure to deadly cosmic radiation. The simulation may help guide Voyager 1 and 2 through a series of shock waves and a massive 'wall' in space nearly two decades from now.
The Large Angle and Spectrometric COronagraph Experiment (LASCO) on the SOHO spacecraft has made public images and movies taken during the week of December 22-27, 1996. The released data includes coronagraphic images and a movie with an image cadence of approximately 50 minutes.