Van Allen Radiation Belt

magnetosphere · solar wind · space safety

Two invisible donuts. Earth has two Van Allen belts shaped like donuts that surround our planet. They're made of energetic charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field, with the inner belt closer to Earth and the outer belt farther away.

Powered by the sun. Most of the charged particles in the Van Allen belts come from the solar wind, streams of energy constantly flowing from the sun. Earth's magnetosphere acts like a cosmic net, catching and holding these particles in place.

A hazard for satellites. Astronauts and satellites have to be careful around the Van Allen belts because the radiation can damage equipment and harm living things. The outer belt is especially risky for spacecraft traveling through space.

Discovered by James Van Allen. American scientist James Van Allen discovered these belts in 1958 using instruments on early satellites. They're named after him because his research proved these mysterious zones of radiation actually exist.