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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

The heliosphere

The heliosphere
The heliosphere This illustration shows the heliosphere, the vast bubble of charged particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun as the solar wind pushes outward into interstellar space. Acting as a protective shield, the heliosphere deflects much of the harmful radiation from the interstellar medium, helping to preserve a habitable environment within our solar system. Its outer boundary is constantly changing as solar wind conditions shift and interact with the surrounding galaxy. NASA / IBEX / Adler Planetarium