(https://www.nasa.gov)(https://science.nasa.

gov)(/)(/)

Where does interstellar space begin? More

(#right
tray)

What is interstellar space?

(/review/interstellar/cover.en.png) Atfirstglance,theanswerseemssimple.Inter
meansbetween.Stellarreferstostars.Easy!youthink,Interstellarspaceisthepartofspace
thatexistsbetweenstars.
Notsofast!Wouldntthatprettymuchmeanthatallofspaceisinterstellarspace?
Forinterstellarspacetobesomethingdifferent,thentheremustbesomedefinedboundary
betweenthespacenearastarandthespaceinbetweenstars.Butwhatisthatboundary?

Look to the solar wind!

Scientistsdefinethebeginningof
interstellarspaceastheplacewhere (/review/interstellar/solarwind.en.png)
thesunsconstantflowofmaterialand Thesolarwindpushesagainsttheparticlesofinterstellarspace.
magneticfieldstopaffectingits
surroundings.Thisplaceiscalledtheheliopause.Itmarkstheendofaregioncreatedbyoursun
thatiscalledtheheliosphere.
Thesuncreatesthisheliospherebysendingaconstantflowofparticlesandamagneticfieldout
intospaceatover670,000milesperhour.Thisstreamiscalledthesolarwind.
LikeEarthwind,thiswindpushesagainstthestuffaroundit.Whatitpushesagainstareparticles
fromotherstars.prettymuchanythingthatdoesntcomefromourownsolarsystem.

How would we know when weve arrived in interstellar space?

Whenitcomestothesunitsallaboutdetectingtheconcentrationandtemperatureofthe
particlesaroundyou.
Insidetheheliosphere,thesolarparticlesarehotbutlessconcentrated.Outsideofthebubble,
theyareverymuchcolderbutmoreconcentrated.
Onceyouarriveininterstellarspace,therewouldbeanincreaseofcoldparticlesaroundyou.
Therewouldalsobeamagneticfieldthatdoesnotoriginatefromoursun.Welcometointerstellar
space!

(/review/interstellar/welcome.en.png)
 articlelastupdatedApril17,2017

Ifyoulikedthis,youmaylike:

(/barycenter) (/storywhatsinspace) (/loopylegends)

Whatisabarycenter? What'sinSpace?(/storywhats Writeyourownzanyadventure
(/barycenter) inspace) story!(/loopylegends)