heliopause
Heliosphere's outer limit
The heliopause is the boundary where the sun's solar wind meets interstellar space—the outer edge of the heliosphere, our solar system's bubble of charged particles.
Beyond it lies the space between stars.
In 2012, Voyager 1 became the first human-made object to cross the heliopause, confirming its location at roughly 120 astronomical units from the sun.
Continuous stellar particle emission
- termination shockSolar wind deceleration zone
- solar cycleRecurring pattern of stellar activity
Interstellar NASA spacecraft
- Voyager 2Interstellar NASA spacecraft
- New HorizonsUndiscovered opportunities ahead
- NASAFederal space exploration bureau
- JPLRobotic spacecraft research facility
deep space network · data transmission · space exploration · scientific discovery
Region beyond solar systems
- cosmic raysEnergetic particles from beyond
- interstellar dustMicroscopic particles pervading space
- starlightLuminance from distant suns
- Alpha CentauriClosest star system
Solar wind deceleration zone
- charged particlesAtoms with net electricity
- boundary layerViscous region near walls
- transition zoneRegion between differing areas
Distant ring of frozen objects
- Oort cloudTheoretical cometary halo
- planetsStar-orbiting celestial bodies
- dwarf planetsSmall orbiting spherical bodies
- PlutoKuiper Belt dwarf world
Sedna · Eris · comets · trans-Neptunian · scattered disc · astronomical unit · light-year · deep space
solar wind
Continuous stellar particle emission
- termination shockSolar wind deceleration zone
- solar cycleRecurring pattern of stellar activity
Voyager 1
Interstellar NASA spacecraft
- Voyager 2Interstellar NASA spacecraft
- New HorizonsUndiscovered opportunities ahead
- NASAFederal space exploration bureau
JPL · deep space network · data transmission · space exploration · scientific discovery
interstellar space
Region beyond solar systems
- cosmic raysEnergetic particles from beyond
- interstellar dustMicroscopic particles pervading space
- starlightLuminance from distant suns
termination shock
Solar wind deceleration zone
- charged particlesAtoms with net electricity
- boundary layerViscous region near walls
- transition zoneRegion between differing areas
Kuiper belt
Distant ring of frozen objects
- Oort cloudTheoretical cometary halo
- planetsStar-orbiting celestial bodies
- dwarf planetsSmall orbiting spherical bodies
Pluto · Sedna · Eris · comets · trans-Neptunian · scattered disc · astronomical unit · light-year · deep space
pause, pausing, heliotrope, heliosphere, heliocentric, helio