An invisible shield, some 7,200 miles (11,600 km) above Earth, has been found blocking ‘killer electrons’ from bombarding our planet.
These electrons can whip around the planet at near-light speed and have been known to threaten astronauts, fry satellites and damage space systems.
If they hit Earth on a large scale, they could knock out power grids, radically change the planet’s climate and drive up rates of cancer.
The shield was discovered in the Van Allen radiation belts – two doughnut-shaped rings above Earth that are filled with high-energy electrons and protons
But while scientists know this mysterious shield exists, they are baffled as to how it formed and how exactly it works.
‘Somewhat like the shields created by force fields on Star Trek that were used to repel alien weapons, we are seeing an invisible shield blocking these electrons,’ said Professor Daniel Baker from the University of Colorado Boulder.
The shield was discovered in the Van Allen radiation belts – two doughnut-shaped rings above Earth that are filled with high-energy electrons and protons.
Held in place by Earth’s magnetic field, the Van Allen radiation belts swell and shrink in response to incoming energy disturbances from the sun.
They were discovered in 1958 and are comprised of an inner and outer belt extending up to 25,000 miles (40,000km) above Earth’s surface.