Cassini/IBEX Data Changes View of Heliosphere Shape

An image of what the new measurements tell us about the shape of our heliosphere, the region of the solar wind's influence. Image Credit:JPL/NASA

Though the Cassini mission has focused intently on scientific exploration of Saturn and it's moons, data taken by the spacecraft has significantly changed the way astronomers think about the shape of our Solar System. As the Sun and planets travel through space, the bubble in which they reside has been thought to resemble a comet, with a long tail and blunt nose. Recent data from Cassini combined with that of other instruments, shows that the local intertstellar magnetic field shapes the heliosphere differently.(...)
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