On Nov 15, 11:31*am, dave wrote:

The solar system is always plowing through interstellar material. The
Sun's giant magnetic field thwarts much of the dust from entering the
solar system. But the magnetic field weakens periodically, on a cycle
that lasts roughly 22-years. The cycle is related to an 11-year cycle of
sunspot activity.

These are two distinct phenomena. The solar wind is not the same thing
as an intrastellar dust cloud. There was nothing in the link you
furnished that indicated the increased amount of intrastellar dust
would accelerate the rate of atmospheric depletion (which is such a
minute fraction of the atmosphere per year that it's of no immediate
threat).

And did you notice the statement in that article that no serious
consequences are expected from passing through that dust cloud? There
*might* be a slight increase in the number of visible meteors
("shooting stars") at night, that's about all they anticipate.

Hardly a doomsday scenario. In fact, seeing more shooting stars at
night sounds like a plus.

--
David Barts
Portland, OR