NASA's Van Allen probes revolutionize view of radiation belts
Wednesday, January 20, 2016 - 09:45
in Astronomy & Space
About 600 miles from Earth's surface is the first of two donut-shaped electron swarms, known as the Van Allen Belts, or the radiation belts. Understanding the shape and size of the belts, which can shrink and swell in response to incoming radiation from the sun, is crucial for protecting our technology in space. NASA's Van Allen Probes now reveals that the shape of the radiation belts is actually quite different depending on what type of electron you're looking at.