BBC Science Focus: Heliosphere

Magazine cover illustration of the Heliospshere. The heliosphere is a vast bubble of charged particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun and blown outward into space by the solar wind. It surrounds the entire solar system and acts as a protective shield, pushing back much of the harmful cosmic radiation that flows through the galaxy.

This is the spread illustration that opens the article. It's a stylised orrery (love that word!) sat within the protective cradle of the heliosphere, with cosmic rays being neutralised at the heliosphere's edge.

This diagram illustrates the position of the solar system within the heliosphere and how it's protected from interstellar wind. This is based on an original NASA illustration.

This time with the annotations removed.

Here are some alternate colour ways for the cover image, as well as an earlier version of the orrery that was also proposed for the cover.

Detail close-ups from the illustrations. We've really been embracing the warm feel of grain, as well as trying to channel some of those airbrush vibes from the 70s and 80s.

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