Spacecraft Enters Sun's Magnetic Field Connected to Milky Way
by Mitch Battros - Earth Changes Media
The "magnetic highway" is a place in the far reaches of the solar system
where the Sun's magnetic field connects to the magnetic field of our
galaxy Milky Way. This connection allows charged particles from inside
the heliosphere (the magnetic bubble that surrounds the Sun) to zoom out
- and it allows charged particles from outside to stream in. When
Voyager 1 is in the magnetic highway, onboard particle sensors can
directly sample material from beyond our solar system.
Eleven billion miles from Earth, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has
entered a "magnetic highway" that connects our solar system to
interstellar space. This could be one of Voyager 1's last steps on its
long journey to the stars.
"Although Voyager 1 is still inside the Sun's environment, we now can
taste what it's like on the outside because the particles are zipping in
and out on this magnetic highway," said Edward Stone, Voyager project
scientist based at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. "We
believe this is the last leg of our journey to interstellar space. Our
best guess is it's likely just a few months to a couple years away. The
new region isn't what we expected, but we've come to expect the
unexpected from Voyager."
See related article published Nov. 18th 2012:
"Study Shows Black Holes Directed by Magnetic Fields"
FULL ARTICLE and VIDEO -
http://bit.ly/UmXdwy
itch Battros Producer - Earth Changes Media
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