The Van Allen Radiation Belts are layers of energetic charged particles that surround Earth, held in place by the planet’s magnetic field. Discovered in 1958 by James Van Allen and his team through measurements taken by the Explorer 1 satellite, these belts are primarily composed of electrons and protons. They consist of two main layers: an inner belt, which extends from about 1,000 to 12,000 kilometers above Earth and primarily contains high-energy protons, and an outer belt, which ranges from about 13,000 to 60,000 kilometers and has a greater concentration of electrons. The Van Allen Belts pose significant challenges for space travel and satellite operations due to the damaging radiation that can degrade electronic components and pose health risks to astronauts. However, they also play a crucial role in protecting Earth by trapping solar and cosmic radiation.
New insights into near-Earth space’s hazardous environment could revolutionize space weather prediction, driven by collaborative international research. A challenge to space scientists to better understand…
Radiation Belts — Fun Facts Two radiation belts filled with electrons and charged particles surround Earth. The inner one is fairly stable, but the outer…
Tiny charged electrons and protons which can damage satellites and alter the ozone have revealed some of their mysteries to University of Otago scientists. In…
Electrons are locally heated to extremely high energies within the Van Allen Radiation Belts, new study finds. The Earth’s magnetic field is trapping high energy…
JAXA and NASA satellite observations show where killer electrons are generated in the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. A collaboration between researchers in Japan,…
Two tough, resilient, NASA spacecraft have been orbiting Earth for the past six and a half years, flying repeatedly through a hazardous zone of charged…
Three hundred and ten miles above our planet’s surface, near-Earth space is abuzz with action. Here begin the Van Allen Belts, a pair of concentric…
Launched in 2012, NASA’s Van Allen Probes are now celebrating their fifth year in space studying the Van Allen Radiation belts. Most satellites, not designed…
Since their discovery at the dawn of the Space Age, Earth’s radiation belts continue to reveal new complex structures and behaviors. This visualization shows how…
An international team of scientists answer a fundamental question about our space environment and reveal new ways to protect telecommunication and navigation satellites. Using measurements…
New research details how a shockwave created by the driving force of a coronal mass ejection from the sun – struck the outermost radiation belt,…
New research from NASA’s Van Allen Probes reveals that the shape of the Van Allen Belts can vary from a single, continuous belt with no…
NASA’s Van Allen Probes have captured the effects of a solar shockwave on Earth’s radiation from beginning to end for the first time. On October…
Using NASA’s Van Allen Probes, new research reveals that the Van Allen radiation belts contain a nearly impenetrable barrier that prevents the fastest, most energetic…
This newly released six-minute video details the mysterious region known as the South Atlantic Anomaly – an area where the Earth’s inner Van Allen radiation…
Using new data from the Van Allen Probes, a newly published study reveals the first direct observation of two processes that, in a chain, cause…
In a newly published study, NASA’s Van Allen Probes reveal that a persistent pattern of high-energy electrons in the inner radiation belt, which resembles slanted…
UCLA scientists explain the formation of an unusual third radiation ring that briefly appeared between the inner and outer Van Allen radiation belts in September…