NASA | Five Years of Great Discoveries for NASA's IBEX

The IBEX spacecraft, part of NASA's Heliophysics Fleet, explores the solar system's edge, creating images from particles instead of light. It has mapped the interactions at the solar system's boundary, revealing a dynamic region with a bright ribbon of energetic neutral atoms. IBEX also observes Earth's magnetosphere and the Moon, providing insights into solar wind interactions. It measures interstellar atoms, offering clues about the solar system's environment and the galactic wind. Recent findings suggest no bow shock in the heliosphere and a changing interstellar wind direction. IBEX continues to uncover new information about the solar system's boundaries and its interaction with the interstellar medium.

What makes the IBEX spacecraft unique in its imaging technique?

• It uses particles to create images.

• It uses sound waves to create images.

• It uses magnetic fields to create images.

• It uses light to create images.

What significant feature did IBEX discover at the edge of the solar system?

• A massive asteroid belt

• A bright ribbon of energetic neutral atoms

• A cluster of new planets

• A dark void of space

How does IBEX contribute to our understanding of Earth's magnetosphere?

• By monitoring volcanic activity

• By tracking the movement of tectonic plates

• By measuring the temperature of Earth's core

• By observing the creation of energetic neutral atoms

What new insight did IBEX provide about the heliosphere's boundary?

• It detected a black hole near the heliosphere.

• It suggested there is no bow shock.

• It confirmed the presence of a bow shock.

• It found a new planet beyond the heliosphere.

What change in the interstellar wind direction has IBEX observed?

• No change in direction

• A shift of about 7 degrees in the last 40 years

• A complete reversal of direction

• A shift of about 20 degrees in the last 10 years