Van Allen Radiation Belts
Van Allen Radiation Belts are two donut-shaped regions surrounding the Earth where high-energy charged particles, mostly protons and electrons, are trapped by the Earth's magnetic field. The inner belt is located between 1,000 and 5,000 km above the Earth's surface, while the outer belt is located between 13,000 and 60,000 km above the Earth's surface. The particles in the belts can be hazardous to spacecraft and astronauts, causing damage to electronics and increasing the risk of cancer and other health problems. The belts were discovered in 1958 by James Van Allen using data from the Explorer 1 satellite.
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