Voyager 2 crosses the termination shock at about 84 AU
Voyager 2 met the shock roughly ten astronomical units closer to the Sun than Voyager 1 had, and crossed it more than once as the shock itself moved in and out with solar activity. The distance asymmetry between the two crossings was among the first direct evidence that the heliosphere is not spherical. Because Voyager 2's plasma science instrument still worked, this crossing produced the first direct plasma measurements of a termination shock.
Observed — measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.
Subjects
- Voyager 2 · mission · Interstellar space, on a southward trajectory out of the ecliptic plane · not located
- Termination shock · natural phenomenon · not located
- Heliosphere · natural phenomenon · not located
Evidence
Partly verified — Core facts are sourced; some optional detail is deliberately absent.
An asymmetric solar wind termination shock
Voyager 2 crossed the termination shock on 30 August 2007 at about 84 AU, roughly ten AU closer to the Sun than Voyager 1's crossing, indicating an asymmetric heliosphere; the shock was crossed more than once as it moved with solar activity. V55 verification basis: NOT CHECKED IN THIS RUN — search budget exhausted, publisher domain blocked. Date, distance and citation all require confirmation.
Nature · 2008 · Partly verified
Stone, E. C. et al., Nature 454 (2008) — the Voyager 2 termination shock papers published together in July 2008
Recorded on Voyager 2
- The full Grand Tour is cancelled and rebuilt as a two-spacecraft mission
- Voyager 2 launches
- Voyager 2 closest approach to Jupiter
- Voyager 2 passes Saturn and continues towards Uranus
- Voyager 2 reaches Uranus — the only close encounter ever made
- Voyager 2 passes Neptune and Triton, ending the planetary programme
- Voyager 1 crosses the termination shock at about 94 AU
- Voyager 2 crosses the termination shock at about 84 AU
- Voyager 2 crosses the heliopause at 119 AU
- Voyager 2's low-energy charged particle instrument is switched off
- The "Big Bang" power manoeuvre on Voyager 2
Related
Related because they share a subject in the Atlas — never because the text looks similar.
- The "Big Bang" power manoeuvre on Voyager 2 · 2026-07-09
- Voyager 2's low-energy charged particle instrument is switched off · 2025-03-24
- Voyager 2 crosses the heliopause at 119 AU · 2018-11-05
- Voyager 1 crosses the termination shock at about 94 AU · 2004-12-16
- Voyager 2 passes Neptune and Triton, ending the planetary programme · 1989-08-25
- Voyager 2 reaches Uranus — the only close encounter ever made · 1986-01-24
- Voyager 2 passes Saturn and continues towards Uranus · 1981-08-25
- Voyager 2 closest approach to Jupiter · 1979-07-09