heliosphere
Americannoun
noun
-
The large, roughly elliptical region of space around the Sun through which the solar wind extends and through which the Sun exerts a magnetic influence. The heliosphere extends well beyond the orbits of the planets, and its shape and extent fluctuate with changes to the solar wind and other influences.
-
◆ The boundary between the heliosphere and interstellar space is known as the heliopause.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heliosphere
Vocabulary lists containing heliosphere
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Among the areas studied was the outer heliosphere, the enormous region of particles and magnetic fields produced by the Sun.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
If the heliosphere contracted as the simulations suggest, Earth's atmosphere would have been directly exposed to a very different interstellar environment during those periods.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026
During these encounters, enormous interstellar "cold clouds" may have pressed against the heliosphere with enough force to dramatically compress it.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026
Voyager 1 exited the heliosphere in 2012, the first earthly object to reach interstellar space.
From Science Magazine ● May 23, 2024
Others think these observations help show that Voyager 1 still hasn’t completely left the heliosphere.
From Science Magazine ● May 23, 2024
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.