Space probe “Voyager-2”, moving towards interstellar space, recorded an increase of energy background cosmic rays, according to the NASA website. The machine, launched into space in 1977, is now about 17.7 billion kilometers from Earth, which is more than 118 times the distance from Earth to the Sun. In 2007, the probe has reached the outer limits of the heliosphere – the space around the Sun and planets within the system where there is high background solar wind particles and residual power of magnetic fields. Since then, scientists watching the camera, waiting for “Voyager-2” reached the boundaries of the heliosphere, also known as heliopause.
As soon as the probe will leave the heliosphere, it will become the second after “the Voyager 1 spacecraft” the spacecraft left the Solar system and entered interstellar space.
From the beginning to the end of August this year, the scientific instrument CRS (Cosmic Ray Subsystem) spacecraft recorded an approximate 5% increase in the energy of cosmic rays reaching “Voyager-2”. Similar data improve energy background got another scientific instrument — a tool for Low-Energy Charged Particle. Cosmic rays are fast moving particles originating outside the Solar system. Part of these rays is blocked by the outer boundary of the heliosphere, so the researchers expect that the closer the machine to its boundary, the energy background cosmic rays will increase.
A similar phenomenon was observed in may 2012, three months before, when the station “Voyager 1” crossed heliopause, being in interstellar space.
The team of “Voyager-2” notes that despite the changing environment around the station, increase energy cosmic rays cannot be considered a final symptom of the passage of the heliopause. “Voyager-2” is in another part of gliasite (region of the heliosphere that separates the Solar system from interstellar space), compared to the “Voyager 1 spacecraft”, so the time of passage of the external borders of the machines vary.
It is also important to note that the “Voyager 2” closer to the edge of the heliopause after 6 years from when it was made by “Voyager-1” as the position of the boundary of the heliopause varies over the 11-year solar cycle. The latter refers to emissions from on our sun (flares and emissions of solar material called coronal mass ejections). During the 11-year solar cycle activity can reach high and low.
“We see the environment change around the “Voyager-2, no doubt. The more data we can get in the coming months, but we still don’t know when the device will reach the heliopause. But I can say for sure — we are still inside,” — said the scientific head of the mission Voyager Edward stone.
To discuss the journey of the spacecraft Voyager in our Telegram chat.
The probe “Voyager-2” reached the border of the Solar system
Nikolai Khizhnyak