Nasa: Our solar system looks like 'deflated croissant'

Did you know a huge magnetic bubble surrounds our solar system?

Nasa have been studying the enormous bubble, known as the heliosphere, and trying to work out what shape it is.

Now, finally, after studying data from many previous Nasa missions, the space scientists think they can finally describe the shape of it: A deflated croissant.

Traditionally, scientists always thought of it as being a comet shape, with a rounded leading edge and a long tail trailing behind.

The heliosphere has been carved out by solar winds, and wraps around all the planets of our solar system like a shield. It protects them all from galactic cosmic radiation.

Outside this bubble is the interstellar medium. This is the space between different solar systems, and it is filled with ionized gas and magnetic field that fill the space between the different systems.

Scientists looked at lots of different particles - those flying towards Earth, particles trapped in Saturn's magnetic field, and ones bouncing back towards the inner solar system.

Then they used what they'd learned about the behaviour of material in space to map what the boundary of the bubble was.

The end result was a "deflated croissant" shape.

NASA says it not just interesting to know what shape the heliosphere is, but it's also very important because it's helping to protect planets from damaging radiation that could destroy them.

Nasa thinks the heliosphere's shape is also part of the puzzle for seeking out life on other worlds.

Scientists hope that an upcoming NASA missions can now find out what other solar systems' heliospheres are like.