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Earth spring up a pair of superfluous " actinotherapy belts " after a pressurize solar tempest rocked our major planet ’s magnetic athletic field last year , information from a resurrectedNASAspacecraft reveal . And one of the unseeable bands , which is unlike any standardised structure seen before , might still be there .
In May 2024 , Earth was slay with itsbiggest geomagnetic storm in 21 yearsafter a barrage fire of solar storms slammed into our planet , disrupting the magnetosphere and paint some of themost widespread aurora displays in the last 500 years . The geomagnetic disturbance also causedGPS - reliant machinery to malfunction .
Earth is permanently surrounded by rings of radiation known as the Van Allen belts (multicolor). The newly identified temporary bands (purple) formed in between the Van Allen belts.
In a new study published Feb. 6 in theJournal of Geophysical Research : Space Physics , research worker analyzed new data collected by NASA ’s Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment ( CIRBE ) planet and discovered that two irregular radiation sickness belts also emerge around our planet follow the storms . The belts were create when charged particles from the solar outbursts became snare by Earth ’s magnetised flying field .
These stria are like to the Van Allen belt — a distich of permanent donut - mold radiation smash that strain up to 36,000 geographical mile ( 58,000 km ) from Earth ’s airfoil and aid to harbor our satellite from solar lead and cosmic rays . The two fresh bands settled in the infinite between the intimate Van Allen belt and the outer Van Allen belt .
Like the permanent structures , the outermost of the two irregular bandscontained mostly negatron , whizzing aroundat close - light speed . However , the innermost temporary swath check a surprising number of protons , which has never been seen in other temporary radiation belts before , research worker compose .
The CIBRE CubeSat is one of the only spacecraft that could have observed the new radiation belts around Earth.
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" When we liken the data from before and after the violent storm , I read , ' Wow , this is something really unexampled , ' " study lead authorXinlin Li , a space physicist and aerospace railroad engineer at the University of Colorado Boulder , said in aNASA financial statement . The configuration of the proton belted ammunition was " really arresting , " he impart .
The CIRBE satellite was offline during May ’s superstorm , after malfunction in mid - April last class . However , on June 15 , 2024 , the space vehicle all of a sudden form back to liveliness and resumed have measurements . The breadbox - sized space vehicle , known as a CubeSat , was equip with a unique gimmick that could discover specific particle within the Van Allen belt . If it had never come back online , the researchers would not have discovered the new proton rap , the team noted .
The May 2024 solar storm triggered widespread auroras across the globe. This photo was taken in the Pacific island of New Caledonia, around 1,500 miles (2,400 km) from the equator, where there has never been a recorded aurora sighting before.
It " was n’t visible in the information from other space vehicle , " Li said . " We are very proud that our very small CubeSat made such a find . "
CIRBE retain to take measure of the young belt until October 2024 when subsequent solar storm caused it to come down out of orbit and cut up in Earth ’s ambience , NASA illustration said in the statement .
‘Likely still there’
impermanent radiation syndrome knock are nothing new . After major solar storms , charged subatomic particle often get temporarily trapped between the Van Allen belts for a few weeks . However , the new additions to Earth ’s radiation cuticle have live on much longer than most , probably due to the strength of May ’s solar storm .
The proscribed electron bash disappeared around three months after the storm , following further barrage from amajor solar storm in Juneandanother in August , the researchers wrote .
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However , the inner proton belt has proved to be much more bouncy and " is probable still there today , " NASA representatives wrote . But it is heavy to tell for sure without CIRBE .
It is currently indecipherable why the inner belt has arrest on for so long . It could be because of its unique form or be tied to the increased telephone number of solar storms duringsolar maximum — the most dynamic stage of the sun ’s some 11 - year solar cycle , whichofficially began earlier last yr .
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