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IBEX First Skymap Release
The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission science team has used data from NASA's IBEX spacecraft to construct the first-ever all-sky map of the interactions occurring at the edge of the solar system, where the sun's influence diminishes and interacts with the interstellar medium. The interstellar boundary region shields our solar system from most of the dangerous galactic cosmic radiation that would otherwise enter from interstellar space.

This visualization illustrates the IBEX satellite in Earth orbit (the orbit reaching almost as far as the orbit of the Moon) and pulls out to beyond the heliopause boundary (the true 3-D nature of the boundary is reduced to a 2-D spherical surface). The sphere with the skymap opens to reproject the data into a near-Aitoff type map projection.

The skymap shows the measured flux of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs).


This movie pulls out from the region of the IBEX spacecraft to beyond the heliopause, illustrating the region which is the source of the IBEX data.    This movie pulls out from the region of the IBEX spacecraft to beyond the heliopause, illustrating the region which is the source of the IBEX data.
Duration: 57.0 seconds
Available formats:
  1920x1080 (60 fps) MPEG-2   260 MB
  1280x720 (30 fps) QT         100 MB
  1280x720 (30 fps) MPEG-2   69 MB
  512x288 (60 fps) MPEG-1   19 MB
  512x288 (30 fps) MPEG-1   14 MB
  1920x1080 (60 fps) Frames
  1280x720 (30 fps) Frames
  320x180     PNG           221 KB
  160x80       PNG           54 KB
  80x40         PNG           15 KB
How to play our movies


The movie opens with a view looking down on the Earth, the Moon and its orbit, and the IBEX satellite.    The movie opens with a view looking down on the Earth, the Moon and its orbit, and the IBEX satellite.

Available formats:
  2560 x 1440     TIFF 3 MB
  320 x 180         JPEG     29 KB


Our view moves closer to the plane of the ecliptic (the grid) illustrating how the orbit of IBEX extends almost as far as the Moon, but is inclined relative to the lunar orbit.    Our view moves closer to the plane of the ecliptic (the grid) illustrating how the orbit of IBEX extends almost as far as the Moon, but is inclined relative to the lunar orbit.

Available formats:
  2560 x 1440     TIFF 3 MB
  320 x 180         JPEG     26 KB


Pulling back from the Earth, we see a more complete view of the IBEX orbit (green) and also fade in a path representing the orbit of the Earth (blue).    Pulling back from the Earth, we see a more complete view of the IBEX orbit (green) and also fade in a path representing the orbit of the Earth (blue).

Available formats:
  2560 x 1440     TIFF 3 MB
  320 x 180         JPEG     28 KB


Pulling back even further from the Earth, we pass the Sun. The violet arrow represents the direction of the Sun's motion with respect to the local interstellar medium. We have now included the IBEX skymap as a semi-transparent layer (revealing the stars beyond).    Pulling back even further from the Earth, we pass the Sun. The violet arrow represents the direction of the Sun's motion with respect to the local interstellar medium. We have now included the IBEX skymap as a semi-transparent layer (revealing the stars beyond).

Available formats:
  2560 x 1440     TIFF 3 MB
  320 x 180         JPEG     36 KB


Pulling back farther still, beyond the orbit of Pluto, we view the IBEX skymap in the direction of the Sun's relative motion. We also see the position of the two Voyager spacecraft.    Pulling back farther still, beyond the orbit of Pluto, we view the IBEX skymap in the direction of the Sun's relative motion. We also see the position of the two Voyager spacecraft.

Available formats:
  2560 x 1440     TIFF 3 MB
  320 x 180         JPEG     37 KB


We now pass outside the heliopause boundary. The region of emission detected by IBEX is now represented by a thin spherical shell around the Sun. In reality, the emission is probably from a much thicker region but the IBEX skymap cannot determine that scale.    We now pass outside the heliopause boundary. The region of emission detected by IBEX is now represented by a thin spherical shell around the Sun. In reality, the emission is probably from a much thicker region but the IBEX skymap cannot determine that scale.

Available formats:
  2560 x 1440     TIFF 3 MB
  320 x 180         JPEG     26 KB


We crack open the sphere projecting the IBEX skymap...    We crack open the sphere projecting the IBEX skymap...

Available formats:
  2560 x 1440     TIFF 3 MB
  320 x 180         JPEG     28 KB


to view the map within.    to view the map within.

Available formats:
  2560 x 1440     TIFF 3 MB
  320 x 180         JPEG     32 KB


We now open and distort the sphere projecting the IBEX skymap into a form similar to the Aitoff or Hammer map projection.    We now open and distort the sphere projecting the IBEX skymap into a form similar to the Aitoff or Hammer map projection.

Available formats:
  2560 x 1440     TIFF 3 MB
  320 x 180         JPEG     40 KB
  160 x 80           PNG       59 KB


Colorbar for IBEX skymap. ENA = Energetic Neutral Atoms    Colorbar for IBEX skymap. ENA = Energetic Neutral Atoms

Available formats:
  320 x 100         TIFF   125 KB
  320 x 100         PNG         2 KB

Animation Number:3635
Completed:2009-10-09
Animator:Tom Bridgman (GST) (Lead)
Video Editor:Scott Wiessinger (UMBC)
Producer:Silvia Stoyanova (UMBC)
Scientists:Dave McComas (SwRI)
 Robert J. MacDowall (NASA/GSFC)
 Eric Christian Ph.D. (NASA/HQ)
Writer:Laura A. Layton (RSIS)
Platforms/Sensors/Data Sets:Hipparcos/Tycho 2 Catalogue
 IBEX/IBEX-Hi/Differential Flux (0.9-1.5 keV)
Series:IBEX First Skymap Release
Keywords:
SVS >> Energetic Particles
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> Neutral Atoms
SVS >> Sun
SVS >> Heliopause
SVS >> Sky Map
SVS >> Heliophysics
More Information on this topic available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ibex/allsky_map.html
Science paper:Global Observations of the Interstellar Interaction from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX)
 
 
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio


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