Related papers: Voyager 2 enters interstellar space

Evolved mass-losing stars such as Mira enrich the interstellar medium (ISM) significantly by their dust-rich molecular wind. When these stars move fast enough relative to the ISM, the interaction between the wind and ISM generates the…

We report the discovery and initial characterization of Qatar-2b, a hot Jupiter transiting a V = 13.3 mag K dwarf in a circular orbit with a short period, P_ b = 1.34 days. The mass and radius of Qatar-2b are M_p = 2.49 M_j and R_p = 1.14…

Owing to the ever-present solar wind, our vast solar system is full of plasmas. The turbulent solar wind, together with sporadic solar eruptions, introduces various space plasma processes and phenomena in the solar atmosphere all the way to…

The Voyager spacecraft are providing the first in situ measurements of physical properties in the outer heliosphere beyond the heliopause. These data, together with data from the IBEX and HST spacecraft and physical models consistent with…

We present a model for the structure, temporal behavior, and evolutionary status of the bipolar nebula M2-9. According to this model the system consists of an AGB or post-AGB star and a hot white dwarf companion, with an orbital period of…

The detections of 1I/Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov within just two years demonstrate impressively that interstellar objects (ISOs) must be common in the Milky Way. Once released from their parent system, these ISOs travel for Gyr through…

Mars is the next destination after Earth to support terrestrial life. Decades of Mars exploration has fascinated space explorers to endeavour for a human expedition. But human Mars enterprise is complicated than conventional mission as the…

The recovery of cosmic ray He nuclei of energy ~150-250 MeV/nuc in solar cycle #23 from 2004 to 2010 has been followed at the Earth using IMP and ACE data and at V2 between 74-92 AU and also at V1 beyond the heliospheric termination shock…

After the termination shock (TS) crossing, the Voyager 2 spacecraft has been observing strong variations of the magnetic field and solar wind parameters in the heliosheath. Anomalous cosmic rays, electrons, and galactic cosmic rays present…

The paper describes differences in the intensity as a function of radial distance of anomalous and galactic cosmic rays in the N-S heliosheaths as observed by the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft respectively. The anomalous cosmic ray (ACR)…

The "twin paradox" of special relativity offers the possibility to make interstellar flights within a lifetime. For very long journeys with velocities close to the speed of light, however, we have to take into account the expansion of the…

Detection and orbit determination for thousands of planets with periods up to about 40 years would be obtained by astrometry from two Gaia-like missions, results which cannot be obtained by any other mission, planned or proposed. A billion…

Stars are generally spherical, yet their gaseous envelopes often appear non-spherical when ejected near the end of their lives. This quirk is most notable during the planetary nebula phase when these envelopes become ionized. Interactions…

A review is presented of the scientific benefits of rapid (v >= 0.1c) interstellar spaceflight. Significant benefits are identified in the fields of interstellar medium studies, stellar astrophysics, planetary science and astrobiology. In…

Thousands of transiting exoplanets have been discovered to date, thanks in great part to the {\em Kepler} space mission. As in all populations, and certainly in the case of exoplanets, one finds unique objects with distinct characteristics.…

Interstellar transport is an object of interest in many sci-fi stories. In history a lot of sci-fi predictions have turned into reality, such as communications satellites, deep-sea submarines and journies to the moon. In this work we study…

We show that the electron thermal conductivity may strongly affect the heliosheath plasma flow and the global pattern of the solar wind (SW) interaction with the local interstellar medium (LISM). In particular, it leads to strong reduction…

Next year, 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft will have a close encounter with Pluto. In the present study we discuss some possibilities regarding what the spacecraft may encounter during its approach to Pluto. Among them we should include:…

Voyager spacecraft (V1 and V2) provide unique in situ measurements of perturbations propagating beyond the heliopause through the very local interstellar medium (VLISM), including the shocks and pressure fronts whose origin is debated. In…

The ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission will provide simultaneous measurements from two spacecraft, offering an unprecedented opportunity to investigate magnetospheric and exospheric dynamics at Mercury as well as their interactions with the solar…