ScienceJuly 18, 2026
magnetometer
mag-nuh-TOM-uh-ter
Definition
An instrument used for measuring the strength and direction of magnetic fields.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'magnes' (magnet) and the Greek 'metron' (measure), reflecting its function of quantifying magnetic force.
In the news
The article mentions that Voyager 1 still has its magnetometer operational, allowing it to continue sampling the magnetic environment of interstellar space.
NASA has calculated, to the precise second, when Voyager 1 will be exactly one light-day from Earth: 2:16 a.m. on 18 November 2026, at a distance of 16,094,799,096 miles — a number that would have been science fiction when the probe launched in 1977
Read the full article ↗Space Daily