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NASA Voyager: 'Tsunami wave' still flies through interstellar space

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, has been traveling through interstellar space for over a decade. Despite being over 14 billion miles away from Earth, it is still sending back valuable data to scientists on Earth. One of the most interesting discoveries made by Voyager 1 is the presence of a "tsunami wave" in interstellar space. This wave is caused by the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium, and it is still flying through space today.

What is Voyager 1?

Before we dive into the details of the tsunami wave, let's first discuss what Voyager 1 is and how it got to where it is today. Voyager 1 is a spacecraft launched by NASA in 1977 with the primary mission of studying Jupiter and Saturn. After completing its mission, Voyager 1 continued on its journey out of our solar system and into interstellar space. It is currently the farthest man-made object from Earth.

Interstellar Space

Interstellar space is the vast expanse of space between stars. It is mostly empty, but it does contain some gas and dust particles. The density of these particles varies depending on where you are in interstellar space.

The Solar Wind

The solar wind is a stream of charged particles that flows out from the Sun. It travels at speeds of up to 900 km/s and can reach as far as the edge of our solar system. The solar wind interacts with the interstellar medium, which causes a shockwave to form.

The Tsunami Wave

The tsunami wave discovered by Voyager 1 is caused by the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. As the solar wind flows out from the Sun, it creates a bubble around our solar system called the heliosphere. When this bubble collides with the interstellar medium, it creates a shockwave that propagates through space. This shockwave is what is known as the tsunami wave.

The Discovery

The tsunami wave was first discovered by Voyager 1 in 2012. At the time, the spacecraft was over 11 billion miles away from Earth. Scientists were able to detect the wave by analyzing data sent back by Voyager 1's instruments.

Current Status

Today, the tsunami wave is still flying through interstellar space. It is estimated to be around 100 astronomical units (AU) from Earth. One AU is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, which is about 93 million miles.

Conclusion

The discovery of the tsunami wave by Voyager 1 has provided scientists with valuable insights into the interaction between our solar system and interstellar space. Despite being over 14 billion miles away from Earth, Voyager 1 is still sending back valuable data that helps us better understand our place in the universe.

FAQs

1. What is interstellar space?

Interstellar space is the vast expanse of space between stars.

2. What is the solar wind?

The solar wind is a stream of charged particles that flows out from the Sun.

3. How did Voyager 1 discover the tsunami wave?

Voyager 1 discovered the tsunami wave by analyzing data sent back by its instruments.

4. How far away from Earth is Voyager 1?

Voyager 1 is currently over 14 billion miles away from Earth.

5. What insights has the discovery of the tsunami wave provided?

The discovery of the tsunami wave has provided scientists with valuable insights into the interaction between our solar system and interstellar space.

This abstract is presented as an informational news item only and has not been reviewed by a subject matter professional. This abstract should not be considered medical advice. This abstract might have been generated by an artificial intelligence program. See TOS for details.

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