NASA Probe Discovers 'Alien' Matter From Beyond Our Solar System

by Denise Chow, SPACE.com Staff Writer

Date: 31 January 2012 Time: 01:09 PM ET

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Artist's impression of NASA's IBEX spacecraft exploring the edge of our solar system. CREDIT: NASA/GSFC

This story was updated at 2:26 p.m. EST.
For the very first time, a NASA spacecraft has detected matter from outside our solar system — material that came from elsewhere in the galaxy, researchers announced today (Jan. 31).
This so-called interstellar material was spotted by NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), a spacecraft that is studying the edge of the solar system from its orbit about 200,000 miles (322,000 kilometers) above Earth.

MORE: http://www.space.com/14419-nasa-ibex-probe-alien-matter-solar-system.html

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