Interesting news from NASA and Cassini, though I’m not sure I grasp the importance of it. I’m at best a layperson in the world of astronomy, and in truth I wouldn’t even call myself that. I don’t know the names of the constellations, but I’ve been following some of the photographs coming from the firmament of late with awe.
Science Daily has a great article about some new findings that Cassini has shown us. These findings are (at least to my understanding) not going to redefine the study of the universe, but certainly change our opinion on the shape of our solar system, which should give us a more accurate understanding of how we move about, where we were, and where we are going.
“These new data from Cassini really redefine our sense of our home in the galaxy, and we can now do better studies of whether our solar system resembles those elsewhere,” Krimigis said.
The Voyagers have sent back rich data on the heliosphere and heliosheath, but just at two locations. Scientists want more context. One way to learn about the region is to track energetic neutral atoms streaming back toward the sun from the heliosheath.
It’s interesting stuff for sure. And again, I’m hesitant to comment on it due to my not having the necessary breadth of understanding on the issue, but perhaps some of our more astronomically-minded readers can take it to the comments section?
Jim
