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Distances

Sun–heliopause distance: size, dimension and comparison

The adopted reference is about 1.7952E10 km.

distance from the Sun ≈ 120 AU; Voyager direction

17.952 billion km ≈ 17,952 million km. One billion kilometers is 1,000 million kilometers.

A boundary of the solar wind encountered by the Voyager probes.

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Sun–heliopause distance, interpreted illustration
Interpreted illustration · dimension stated in the fact sheet.

What does this number measure?

The Voyager probes crossed the heliopause at distances of the order of 120 AU, in two different directions and at different times. Here this is a reference distance from the Sun, not the total diameter of the heliosphere. The boundary varies and the real heliosphere is asymmetric. The diagram does not depict a visible wall.

Compare the stated dimensions

The comparison uses the number in each fact sheet: altitude, height, diameter, length or distance, depending on the reference. Two values in metres do not necessarily describe the same property.

Compare with Classical Kuiper belt in the explorer →

Source and limitations

Proposed documented order of magnitude; source linked, not individually audited during this session. Model regions and boundaries are highly uncertain.

Sun–heliopause distance: the measured segment runs from the Sun's centre on the left to the boundary point on the right and does not represent a diameter. Interpreted boundary arc in the Voyager reference direction; the Sun and point are symbolic and out of scale. This is not a map of the heliosphere's actual shape.