What are the Van Allen radiation belts?
Doughnut-shaped rings of deadly radiation encircle our planet.
The answer
The Van Allen belts are two concentric zones of high-energy charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field. The inner belt (600–12,000 km altitude) consists mainly of high-energy protons, while the outer belt (13,000–60,000 km) contains mainly electrons. Discovered in 1958 by James Van Allen using data from Explorer 1 (America's first satellite), these belts pose a serious radiation hazard to spacecraft and astronauts. The Apollo missions passed through them quickly to minimize exposure. NASA's Van Allen Probes (2012–2019) revealed that the belts are far more dynamic and complex than previously understood.
Source: NASA Van Allen Probes
- Van Allen belts
- radiation
- magnetosphere
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