Go on the road to find out what shield protects humanity

The outermost part of the solar system is a protective area for us, like a shield against the dangerous radiation of the universe. So far people know almost nothing about it. Now an American satellite will explore this space.

At the boundary of our Solar System there is a lot of turmoil. The solar wind (an extremely fast charged particle emanating from the sun) blasts into this area, suddenly abruptly restrained in the area called Termination Shock, where temperatures are close to 200,000 ° C and shock waves pass through. hot plasma.

Termination Shock, where the Sun Wind, a stream of charged particles, meets the cosmic gas.Photo: UC Berkeley / Linghua Wang.

This is a protective space like a balloon and embraces our Solar System. A large part of the dangerous cosmic radiation is blocked in this area. However, people only knew very little about it, although the "Voyager 1" spacecraft had reached Termination Shock nearly four years ago, then the twin brothers "Voyager 2" had crossed the full line. this disturbance 5 times.

Both measurements are only one point at a time. "We get detailed measurement results at two certain locations, but its diaries and its boundary areas vary greatly with time and space , " said Eberhard Möbius. So physicists are working with a colleague to develop a new detective ship that is responsible for redrawing the panorama in the periphery of the solar system.

To do this, the 41kg satellite named Ibex (Interstellar Boundary Explorer) did not need to fly over the King of Hell - something that would last for years. It does its job in a convenient location: Flying around the Earth.

Ibex will be interested in observing the sky while flying out of Earth's magnetic field, measuring at that location is not misleading. It is expected that within half a year, talent will complete the first full picture. Satellite will depart in October from the Marshall Islands between the Pacific Ocean.