How IBEX Maps the Edge of the Heliosphere (Via Rotation) (VIDEO)

Southwest Research Institute

Caption

The IBEX spacecraft rotates at 4 revolutions per minute. The sensors, which look out perpendicular to its sun-pointed axis, use a charge exchange process to convert energetic neutral atoms into ions so they can be analyzed and detected. As the spacecraft rotates, the sensors build a crescent-shaped portion of the all-sky map.

Credit

Southwest Research Institute

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