Oort Cloud Collection

Voyager 1 passes into interstellar space C017 / 0680
Voyager 1 passes into interstellar space, computer artwork. Voyager 1 was launched on 5th September 1977. This timing took advantage of a rare alignment of the giant outer planets Jupiter and Saturn

Voyager 1 passes into interstellar space C017 / 0679
Voyager 1 passes into interstellar space. Computer artwork showing the location of the spacecraft Voyager 1 on 25th August 2012. This is when it was believed to have entered interstellar space

Oort cloud, artwork
Oort cloud. Artwork of the Oort cloud of comet nuclei thought to form a spherical halo around the solar system, with outer (spherical) and inner (toroidal) regions

Oort cloud. Computer illustration of the Oort cloud of comet nuclei thought to form a spherical halo around the solar system. The Sun and solar system are at centre, but are not seen at this scale

Illustration of Tyche, a hypothetical planet that could exist within the Oort Cloud
Based on new and recent scientific evidence, Tyche is a hypothetical planet that could exist within our solar system far out within the Oort Cloud

A diagram illustrating the extent of the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud

The orbit of the binary Kuiper Belt object with the orbits of Pluto and Neptune
This illustration compares the orbit of the binary Kuiper Belt object, called 1998 WW31, with the orbits of Pluto and Neptune, the outermost solar system planets

Nemesis star, artwork
Nemesis star. Computer artwork of the star Nemesis, a hypothetical companion star to the Sun (upper left). It is thought that Nemesis is either a red or brown dwarf that moves in an elliptical orbit

Oort cloud as seen from the Alpha Centuri system
Artists impression of the Sun (left) and Oort cloud (ring of small blue objects) as seen from the Alpha Centauri triple star system

Comet formation. Computer artwork of stars passing the Oort cloud causing a comet to head into the inner solar system (bright, bottom right)

Oort cloud formation

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Voyager 1's historic passage into interstellar space in 2012 marked the official exploration of the outermost reaches of our solar system, the mysterious and vast Oort Cloud. This icy sphere, extending from approximately 2000 to 100,000 astronomical units from the Sun, is home to countless icy bodies, including short-period and long-period comets. The Oort Cloud's boundary, illustrated here with the orbits of Pluto, Neptune, and a binary Kuiper Belt object, is a dynamic and ever-changing frontier. Artwork depicts the Oort Cloud as seen from the Alpha Centauri system, with the hypothetical dwarf planet Tyche potentially residing within. The formation of the Oort Cloud and its comets is still a topic of ongoing research, with some theories suggesting the influence of a nearby star, Nemesis, or collisions with other celestial bodies. As Voyager 1 continues its journey into the unknown, the secrets of the Oort Cloud and its comets await discovery.