AI Insight
Researchers from the Southwest Research Institute are using the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft to monitor how the solar wind behaves in the outer solar system. The team, led by Heather Elliott, is tracking the solar wind's deceleration as it travels farther from the Sun, providing data to help determine where the solar system's boundary with interstellar space occurs. This research contributes to understanding the transition zone between the Sun's sphere of influence and the beginning of interstellar space.
Why it matters
Understanding where the solar system ends helps define the extent of the Sun's protective bubble against cosmic radiation and interstellar particles. This knowledge is crucial for planning future deep space missions and understanding how our solar system interacts with the broader galaxy.
Understand the Science
Where does the solar system end and interstellar space begin? That’s a question scientists have been working to answer using spacecraft traveling beyond the sun’s influence. A team of researchers from the Southwest Research Institute, led by Heather Elliott, is using the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument aboard New Horizons to track the solar wind in the outer reaches of the solar system.
Source: New Horizons watches the solar wind as it slows down