heliosphere
Sun's cosmic reach
The heliosphere is the vast bubble of space dominated by the sun's influence—the region where solar wind and magnetic fields hold sway against interstellar space.
It extends billions of miles beyond Pluto, enveloping all the planets.
The boundary where solar wind meets interstellar medium is the heliopause: Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause in 2012, leaving the heliosphere.
Solar system's outermost boundary
- termination shockSolar wind deceleration zone
- Voyager probesInterstellar exploration spacecraft
- noseOlfactory facial organ
- tailRear animal appendage
Continuous stellar particle emission
- solar cycleRecurring pattern of stellar activity
- space weatherSun-driven orbital environment conditions
- solar flareMagnetic eruption from sunspots
Handheld defensive armor
Interstellar NASA spacecraft
- Voyager 2Interstellar NASA spacecraft
- New HorizonsUndiscovered opportunities ahead
- CassiniSaturn mission namesake
- deep spaceRemote regions beyond planets
Positive nuclear particles
- electronsNegative charges in atoms
- alpha particlesEmitted helium nuclei
heliopause
Solar system's outermost boundary
- termination shockSolar wind deceleration zone
- Voyager probesInterstellar exploration spacecraft
- noseOlfactory facial organ
solar wind
Continuous stellar particle emission
- solar cycleRecurring pattern of stellar activity
- space weatherSun-driven orbital environment conditions
- solar flareMagnetic eruption from sunspots
shield
Handheld defensive armor
Voyager 1
Interstellar NASA spacecraft
- Voyager 2Interstellar NASA spacecraft
- New HorizonsUndiscovered opportunities ahead
- CassiniSaturn mission namesake
protons
Positive nuclear particles
- electronsNegative charges in atoms
- alpha particlesEmitted helium nuclei
- cosmosuniverse, galaxies, galaxy, stars, star
- outer spacesun, moon, planet, star system, solar system
- solar systemsun, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
- spacespace, sun, moon, stars, star
- sunsol, solar, sunlight, sunspots, sunshine
- Space Regionsasteroid belt, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, interplanetary space, interstellar space
heliosphereinterstellar space
Region beyond solar systems
intergalactic space · heliopause · the void · deep space · outer space
sphere, atmosphere, spherical, stratosphere, heliotrope, heliocentric