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Event / publication / experimentBranchesAugust 25, 2012

Voyager and interstellar space

Edward Stone

This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method

For everyone

Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and 2 imaged Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune up close. On 25 August 2012 Voyager 1 crossed the edge of the Sun's wind (the heliopause) and became the first human-made object in interstellar space. Both spacecraft are still sending data to Earth today.

For specialists

The crossing was identified by a sudden drop in low-energy solar particles and a rise in galactic cosmic rays; plasma wave measurements showed the surrounding electron density rising to values typical of the interstellar medium. The fact that the magnetic field direction did not change as expected led to debate for a time over how to interpret the crossing.

Claims

Evidence

Supporting

Measurement

Plasma wave oscillations showed the electron density rising to about 40 times that of the solar wind.[2]

Challenging

Measurement

The magnetic field direction did not show the change expected at the heliopause, so early interpretations debated whether the craft might still be inside the heliosheath.[1]

Connections

Parent

Space exploration

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Sources

  1. ArticleStone, E. C. et al. (2013). Voyager 1 observes low-energy galactic cosmic rays in a region depleted of heliospheric ions. Science 341, 150–153DOI 10.1126/science.1236408archive
  2. ArticleGurnett, D. A.; Kurth, W. S.; Burlaga, L. F.; Ness, N. F. (2013). In situ observations of interstellar plasma with Voyager 1. Science 341, 1489–1492DOI 10.1126/science.1241681archive

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Cite this page

APA

Athena contributors. (2026). Voyager and interstellar space. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/voyager/

BibTeX
@misc{athena_voyager,
  title        = {Voyager and interstellar space},
  author       = {{Athena contributors}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/voyager/}},
  note         = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}

Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history

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