What happens when the solar wind suddenly starts to blow significantly harder? According to two recent studies, the boundaries of our entire solar system balloon outward — and an analysis of particles rebounding off of its edges will reveal its new shape. Continue reading “As solar wind blows, our heliosphere balloons”
A star disturbed the comets of the solar system 70,000 years ago
About 70,000 years ago, a small reddish star approached our solar system and gravitationally disturbed comets and asteroids. Astronomers from the Complutense University of Madrid and the University of Cambridge have verified that the movement of some of these objects is still marked by that stellar encounter. Continue reading “A star disturbed the comets of the solar system 70,000 years ago”