Voyager 2 has entered interstellar space!

Apparently (at least, the way the below article is written), that “Why not both?” meme applies:

Voyager had crossed the heliopause, where the river of solar particles meets the vast ocean of interstellar space. It is now beyond the bubble of our sun’s influence, NASA announced Monday.

Neither of the Voyager probes has technically left the solar system, said Ed Stone, who has been the project scientist for the mission since 1972. In about 300 years, they will reach the edge of the Oort cloud — a halo of icy bodies loosely bound by the sun’s gravity that is thought to be the source of comets. It will take another 40,000 years for the spacecraft to exit that cloud and come under the influence of another sta

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“It will take another 40,000 years for the spacecraft to exit that cloud…”

Ah, so we’re just trying to get in on the interstellar craze before the audience dies! :wink:

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Interestingly, it appears that lots of the internet is still using an outdated picture of the heliopause, showing it as teardrop shaped, having a long tail that extends beyond the usual picture edge. That appears now to be incorrect. Recent data suggests that it is more likely to be croissant-shaped, and not very long. It might take a while before the internet catches up.

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