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The Voyager 1 automated probe, which explores our star system and its surroundings, seems to have left the solar system, becoming the first human-made spacecraft to get to such a a point in outer space far from Earth.
NASA scientists say that in order to say for sure whether Voyager 1 has crossed the solar system, you need to know three things: the amplification of fast cosmic rays that form behind outside our system, reducing the level of slow charged particles that are generated by our Sun and changing the direction of the magnetic field that the spacecraft determines.
Previously, scientists found that Voyager 1 was affected by stronger galactic cosmic rays in previous months and that charged particles from the Sun also began to affect it much less. The last thing that remains to be seen is whether the magnetic field affecting the device has changed.
Nick Santzeff, an astronomer at Texas A&M University, believes that this is enough to draw the appropriate conclusions: “Even without magnetometer data, Voyager 1 showed that it went through a huge a barrier at the edge of the solar system.” Santzeff thinks it's incredible that the spacecraft managed to go through a sharp change in cosmic ray fluxes. He believes this suggests that he went across the edge of the solar system
Voyager 1 set off on its epic journey 35 years ago and in a few months, according to scientists, should finally leave the solar system. September 5 was the 35th the anniversary of Voyager 1's launch to Saturn and Jupiter. It is now located at the very edge of the solar system, which is wrapped in a giant plaza bubble.
This hot, raging region is created by a stream of charged particles from the Sun. Beyond the bubble is the Milky Way's new frontier — the space between stars. If Voyager 1 makes its way across this border, scientists expect a quieter environment ahead.
Scientists can only guess when exactly this will happen. Voyager 1 is in uncharted celestial territory. One thing is clear: the boundary that separates the solar system and interstellar space is very close, but it may take days, months, or even years to cross the boundary.
Currently, the spacecraft is at a distance of 18.27 billion kilometers from the Sun. His twin brother Voyager 2, which also recently celebrated its 35th anniversary, is now 14.93 billion kilometers from the Sun.