Report an anomaly in the Earth’s magnetic field

Just above South America, NASA has detected a “weak spot” in Earth’s magnetic field. These are the effects that can occur on the surface.

NASA has been monitoring this phenomenon for years. known as ‘South Atlantic anomalyIt is an atypical behavior in the Earth’s magnetic field. You can see above Latin America A wide area weakened over the years.

It’s not the first time that such an event takes place. On the contrary, this phenomenon is known aswide developmentThey are already born Problems between satellites and spacecraft That agency launched into outer space. Basically because they are more exposed to solar radiation. This is what we know.

More context: This is Earth’s magnetic field: the natural crust that protects us from geomagnetic storms and cosmic radiation

Earth’s magnetic field has been “skewed” in the South Atlantic Anomaly

This is the best way NASA astronomers have described this phenomenon Like a “dent” in the Earth’s magnetic field. In no other part of the planet is behavior like this observed, which is why it is considered an anomaly. Although there is a record of this phenomenon since 2020, The restless researchers’ concern.

This is because Earth’s magnetic field naturally protects us, like the crust, against the charged particles of the sun. Thanks to him, life as we know it could exist. If this shield is not present, Solar radiation will destroy the biosphere within years.

It is not that in the area covered by the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) there is a hole in the magnetic field, or that it does not exist. It was purchased as “a kind of ‘bump in space’,” he described Science alert.

NASA confirmed this The weakest region does not affect life on Earth. However, the same cannot be said about orbital space, where satellites are located They are no more protected from the “eyelashes” of the sun (known as geomagnetic storms). Even the International Space Station has been affected by this, when it goes through this dent.

Also read: This is what the night sky would look like when it’s full of satellites (not stars)

What happens to things that pass?

NASA has documented encounters between devices that launch them into space and their interactions with charged particles from the sun. In general, this is what happens to her when she is. High energy protons hit it What does our star emit?

• They are short circuit
• They work badly
• They are completely useless

Although these incidents were reported, NASA He did not decipher the true nature of the anomaly in the Earth’s magnetic field. a Stady published in the summer of 2020 indicates that this phenomenon is very old, and It began to form 11 million years ago.

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