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NASA discovers our solar system has a tail

Other tails of stars have been imaged by other satellites. NASA/HST/R.Casalegno/GALEX

TORONTO – A NASA satellite has discovered that our solar system has a tail, just like a comet.

The satellite, called the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), mapped the tail of the heliosphere, the bubble that surrounds our solar system.

Scientists had long speculated that the tail existed, but until IBEX, were unable to see it.

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Our heliotail (helio- is Greek for sun), is comprised of particles that stream behind the solar wind, given off by our sun. The tail has both slow- and fast-moving particles.

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