Ulysses Dust Detection System: Interplanetary and Interstellar Dust Measurements

NASA's Ulysses spacecraft collected this data on the dust environment in interplanetary space within the inner solar system, between Jupiter and the Sun, and at high solar polar latitudes. The dataset includes instrumental readouts, inferred metadata, calibration information, and a calendar of events from a dust impact experiment. Both interplanetary and interstellar dust particles were detected.

Use Cases

• Modeling dust distribution in the inner solar system based on impact data.
• Analyzing the properties of interstellar dust particles based on inferred metadata.
• Studying dust dynamics at high solar latitudes based on the spatial coverage described.
• Calibrating dust detection instruments based on the included calibration information.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NASA spacecraft instrument, the Ulysses Cosmic Dust instrument.
• Covers unique regions including the inner solar system and high solar polar latitudes.
• Includes multiple data types: instrumental readouts, inferred metadata, calibration information, and an event calendar.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is provided in a BIN file format, which may require specialized tools for access.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by the Ulysses Cosmic Dust instrument via a dust impact experiment.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 05:45:20.756019; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Interplanetary space within the inner solar system, between Jupiter and the Sun, and at high solar polar latitudes.