The heliosphereThe region around the Sun where the solar wind dominates over the interstellar medium. in which we live is the volume of space dominated by our Sun and the solar windA stream of charged particles, mostly protons and electrons, that escapes into the Sun's outer atmosphere at high speeds and streams out into the solar system.. Outside our heliosphere, the space between the stars consists of the Interstellar Medium.All the gas and dust found between stars. The spaces between the stars are not empty areas, however. Our region of the Milky Way Galaxy is filled with several other stars and clouds of gas and dust, with some regions containing more material and some containing less. For more information about our Local Galactic Neighborhood, go to the Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 17, 2002.
CLICK TO PLAY MOVIE. Clip from IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System. Credit: NASA/Adler Planetarium.
