A great magnetic bubble surrounds the solar system as it cruises through the galaxy. The sun pumps the inside of the bubble full of solar particles that stream out to the edge until they collide with the material that fills the rest of the galaxy, at a complex boundary called the heliosheath. On the other side of the boundary, electrically charged particles from the galactic wind blow by, but rebound off the heliosheath, never to enter the solar system. Neutral particles, on the other hand, cross the boundary as if it was not there, continuing on another 7.5 billion miles for 30 years until they get caught by the sun's gravity and sling shot around the star. Here, NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) methodically measures these "Alien"samples of the mysterious neighborhood beyond our home.