Book 21, Question 54
What Does the Magnetic Shield Around Our Planet Do?
Our planet has an invisible shield wrapped all around it. It is Earth's magnetic field, and it protects us from a stream of particles flying out from the Sun.
More fun facts
- Earth's magnetosphere shields us from the solar wind, the charged particles the Sun constantly sends toward us.
- Without that shield, the solar wind could slowly wear away our atmosphere.
- Some particles get trapped in two donut-shaped belts around Earth called the Van Allen Belts.
- The magnetosphere and the atmosphere together protect us from cosmic rays and solar particle radiation.
- Over South America and the southern Atlantic Ocean, the South Atlantic Anomaly lets solar particles come closer to Earth's surface.
Sources: NASA Science
Questions kids ask
What are the Van Allen Belts?
They are two donut-shaped zones around Earth where the magnetic field traps charged particles.