The Van Allen radiation belt is composed of two torus-shaped layers of energetic charged particles (plasma) around the planet Earth, held in place by its magnetic field. The belt extends from an altitude of about 1,000 to 60,000 kilometres above the surface, in which region radiation levels vary. It is thought that most of the particles that form the belts come from solar wind, and other particles by cosmic rays. It is named after its discoverer, James Van Allen, and is located in the inner region of the Earth's magnetosphere. It is split into two distinct belts, with energetic electrons forming the outer belt and a combination of protons and electrons forming the inner belt. In addition, the radiation belts contain lesser amounts of other nuclei, such as alpha particles. The belts pose a hazard to satellites, which must protect their sensitive components with adequate shielding if their orbit spends significant time in the radiation belts.
Read more about Van Allen Radiation Belt: Discovery, Research, Outer Belt, Inner Belt, Flux Values, Antimatter Confinement, Implications For Space Travel, Causes, Removal
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—Unknown. The Shan Van Vocht (l. 10–12)
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“There are no accidents, only nature throwing her weight around. Even the bomb merely releases energy that nature has put there. Nuclear war would be just a spark in the grandeur of space. Nor can radiation “alter” nature: she will absorb it all. After the bomb, nature will pick up the cards we have spilled, shuffle them, and begin her game again.”
—Camille Paglia (b. 1947)
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)