Voyager’s Discovery of the 90,000°F Edge of Our Solar System

Science 101, now in its third season, features Voyager and the 90,000°F Edge of Our Solar Bubble, an extraordinary journey to the distant frontier where the Sun’s influence meets interstellar space. NASA’s Voyager spacecraft have traveled farther from Earth than any other human-made objects, sending back groundbreaking measurements from the outer boundary of the heliosphere, the vast protective bubble created by the solar wind. In this episode, we explore reports of temperatures reaching approximately 90,000°F near this turbulent boundary and explain why the Voyager probes do not melt despite the extreme heat. Although individual particles possess enormous energy, the region is so thin and sparsely populated that there is very little matter available to transfer heat to the spacecraft. We also examine the heliopause, the pressure of interstellar space, and what Voyager’s discoveries reveal about the invisible forces surrounding our solar system. It is a fascinating story of extreme physics, pioneering engineering, and humanity’s first direct exploration beyond the solar bubble. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.