Mysterious Ribbon at Edge of Solar System Explained

[mickw]

A mysterious ribbon spotted on the edge of the solar system has turned out to be a reflection of particles streaming off the sun, scientists have found.

The space ribbon — a long band of high-energy particle emissions — was first noticed last year by NASA's IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer) spacecraft, which studies the boundary between our solar system and the rest of the galaxy. Scientists were mystified by it, calling the discovery a "shocking result."

But now researchers think they've figured out the origin of the bizarre structure.

"We believe the ribbon is a reflection," said Jacob Heerikhuisen, a NASA heliophysics guest investigator from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. "It is where solar wind particles heading out into interstellar space are reflected back into the solar system by a galactic magnetic field."

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