Our solar system is passing through a cloud of interstellar material that shouldn't be there, astronomers say. Now the Voyager spacecraft have helped solve the mystery
It is called the "local interstellar cloud" (or in slang the "local fluff" Local Fluff). The cloud spans 30 light years from end to end, and is made of a mixture of hydrogen and helium atoms, according to a press release issued by NASA. Stars that exploded about 10 million years ago were supposed to destroy the cloud or blow it away.
So what holds the cloud in place?
"Using information from Voyager, we discovered a strong magnetic field located on the outskirts of our solar system," explains Merav Ofer, a visiting heliophysics researcher at NASA from George Mason University. "This magnetic field holds the interstellar cloud in place, [and it] solves the long-standing puzzle of how this condition can exist."
"The cloud has a stronger magnetic effect than previously thought," says Ofer. "The magnetic field can provide the additional pressure required to prevent its demolition."
Ofer and her colleagues describe their findings in the December 24 issue of the scientific journal Nature.
NASA's two Voyager space probes have been competing in the solar system for more than 30 years. They are now beyond the orbit of Pluto and on the verge of entering interstellar space. In the 90s, Voyager 1 became the most distant human-made object in space.
The Voyager 2 spacecraft, which raced in the opposite direction, revealed, among other things, that the bubble surrounding the solar system was "squished" at one end of it.
"The Voyager spacecraft are not right inside the cloud," says Ofer. "But they get closer to it and can feel how it is built just by actually advancing towards it."
The 'local fluff' takes hold of the gulf located just beyond the edge of the solar system through the sun's magnetic field, which is created by solar winds, a magnetic bubble that spreads over 10 billion km from end to end. The bubble is called the "heliosphere", and it protects the inner parts of the solar system from interstellar cosmic rays and interstellar dust clouds. Both spacecraft are located in the outermost layer of the heliosphere, where the solar wind is slowed down by pressure from interstellar gas.
Voyager 1 entered the outer layer of the heliosphere in December 2004, and Voyager 2 in 2007. Cross-referenced information from them provides essential data for the new study.
Additional interstellar clouds may be magnetized, Ofer and her colleagues hypothesize. And we may end up running into one of them.
"Their strong magnetic field could compress the heliosphere to a greater extent than it is compressed today," according to NASA. "Additional compression could allow more cosmic rays to reach the interior of the solar system, potentially affecting the environmental climate and the ability of astronauts to fly safely in space."
24 תגובות
An interesting point is what you say about the connection between the cloud and evolution, it seems that this "cloud" in the coming years will provide answers to some very important questions. Maybe there really is a connection between certain particles in the cloud that affect the RNA molecules.
Regarding the Pioneer anomaly. It's likely to do with dark matter.
I wonder what part this cloud plays as a causal factor in the process of evolution and mutations on Earth.
Hi Judah,
Good question. I don't know if the Pioneer anomaly is related to the interstellar cloud. As far as I know the scientists do not know what causes this effect.
A question to Yael and others
Does this cloud have anything to do with the Pioneer anomaly?
I'd like to receive an answer
good evening
Yehuda
We are inside this cloud. What protects us is the shock waves sent by the sun, which form the heliosphere.
Here is a diagram-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Solarmap.png
It may be related to what "white blood" said, because the interstellar medium is not poisonous, but definitely deadly.
The cloud consists of particles that are not visible in the same range of colors that the human eye is able to distinguish (just a wild guess I don't really know)
How is a cloud composed of electrically neutral particles affected by a magnetic field? If the cloud has a magnetic field or is affected by such a field, it means that most of its particles are either ions, or most of them are polarized to that particular one.
Thank you, Yael
Crescent moon,
Something like that.
Yael Peter,
According to what I read it will take Voyager 1 75 thousand years to reach the next planet.
Crescent moon,
It's true, the two Voyager spacecraft have been used by science extensively. And on the spaceships there is a gold record with sounds from God written on it, so that later on in their journey if they meet intelligent life from deep space, they will tell the story of the history of the human race and our world (it is likely that by the time this happens, there will no longer be a human race).
white blood,
I haven't heard of anything like that. But in our case there is no danger.
Voyager is simply a spacecraft that keeps on giving, even after so many years.
It seems to me that there is some kind of error in the data because I don't understand how the magnetic field of the solar system (let's say about 1 light year) affects the interstellar cloud in question whose size is described as 30 light years?
What is important is not so much the strength of the field which
can be created or changed in any number of ways, but
The fact that a magnetic field can affect matter and shape it
or design the course of his progress. Although here they just found out how
He "held" atoms of hydrogen and helium, this means that basically
Find a new connection between magnetic field and matter and if all this really
It is true that this is a significant breakthrough.
On the topic of magnetic force,
Conducted an amazing experiment that was broadcast on TV:
Create an electromagnet from four standard batteries of 1.5 volts each,
together 6 volts.
With the help of the electromagnet they created from the batteries,
They lifted 150 kg of iron...
Really amazing.
Sorry, I forgot to mention my name.
A very interesting article. Thanks.
If the findings are indeed true, then this is the first time it has been explained
How a magnetic field "holds", shapes and stabilizes matter, or rather
Atoms of hydrogen and helium. Although it is 4-5 microgauss
If the field extends over 30 light years, then this is a quantity
Huge radiation.
Besides, I didn't understand why the solar wind is the source of the magnetic radiation
The only one that is referred to while the sun's magnetic field (and the rest
the planets) stretch to vast distances and they have not yet been found
some kind of function or effect on the structure of the solar system.
This discovery may be the beginning of a breakthrough in understanding their role
and the power of magnetic fields as part of the forces that act and shape
Star systems and galaxies, in addition to gravity, mass, dark matter
And not dark matter.
We'll see.
At most we will go through a cloud of helium and then the sound will go up a few octaves. 😉
A very long time ago, there was a film on Channel 8 about toxic clouds in space. I can't remember right now if it's interstellar or intergalactic clouds. In any case, one of the scientists there claimed that our solar system is heading towards these (I think he said that the clouds surround us), and will penetrate them. In this situation, life will not be possible in it, due to their toxicity.
Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the aforementioned astronomer, or the name of the film, so I cannot provide sources.
I wanted to ask, Yael, if you know anything about this, and if you could direct me to material on the subject?
Indeed, I fixed it - thanks Mogin
"On the verge of entering the bingalactic space" - we are talking, of course, about the interstellar space and not the bingalactic one. It will take a little more time for Voyager to go outside the Milky Way…
The cloud is somewhat reminiscent of a soap bubble. Is it possible that the cloud's magnetic field is related to dark energy? or not?
I can bet that in a few years (maybe a few tens) they will find that most (if not all) solar systems are surrounded by such clouds, including the galaxies, and even our universe is inside such a "cloud".
In any case, congratulations to Merev Ofer, it's always good to know that there are Jewish Israelis who contribute to science with significant achievements.