Interstellar Medium

NASA Spacecraft Reveals New Observations of Interstellar Matter

5 Feb 2012

In a series of science papers appearing in the Astrophysics Journal , scientists report finding 74 oxygen atoms for every 20 neon atoms in the interstellar wind. In our own solar system, there are 111 oxygen atoms for every 20 neon atoms.

NASA spacecraft detects atoms of interstellar matter

2 Feb 2012

A NASA spacecraft has detected atoms from the interstellar medium, finding a lower concentration of...

IBEX space probe provides a peek at interstellar material

1 Feb 2012

Over the course of a year, NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) scans the entire sky. During February, its instruments are aligned in the correct direction to intercept atoms that have crossed the boundary from interstellar space into our solar system, become caught by the Sun's gravity and slung around the star. This has now allowed IBEX to capture the most complete glimpse of the ...