It is not always that scientists identify something created by man and that, instead of causing damage to the earth, apparently has protective action for our world. For, according to Kelly Kasulis of Mic's website, NASA recently discovered a barrier around our planet that seems to protect us from coronal mass ejections and other space events that result in the emission of cosmic radiation.

Solar storms

As we explained in previous articles here in Mega Curioso, during coronal mass ejections, variations in the Sun's magnetic field cause vast portions of the star's surface to expand rapidly - forming a kind of bubble - ejecting huge amounts of particles into space. .

Simulation of a powerful coronal mass ejection

The problem is that, depending on the magnitude of the emission, when particles arrive on our planet - between three and five days after ejection - they reach the outermost layers of the magnetic field and can damage satellites that orbit around the planet. Earth and affect communication and grid systems.

The worst event of its kind in history was the Carrington Event in 1859, which luckily only affected telegraph systems. Today, a solar ejection of similar magnitude could have disastrous consequences as it could possibly leave millions of people without access to telecommunications systems and without electricity.

A more recent event took place in Quebec, Canada, in 1989, when a powerful coronal mass ejection "fried" electrical transformers and power stations and even affected radio systems in Europe. On that occasion, the sun released a cloud of gas of a billion tons of particles and whose energy was equivalent to the simultaneous explosion of thousands of nuclear bombs.

Man-made barrier

Returning to the barrier issue, Kelly said, the discovery came as the space agency was conducting particle studies in space. NASA scientists have identified a layer that encompasses our planet formed by a type of electromagnetic radiation known by the acronym VLF - Very Low Frequency .

According to NASA, although they are too weak to be used in normal audio transmissions, these frequencies are used in radio communication with submarines that are deep in the ocean, for example. But although the VLF is focused on reaching the bottom of the sea, some of the emissions reach the atmosphere and escape into space, creating the barrier that the space agency has identified around Earth.

Van Allen Belts

This electromagnetic radiation appears to interact with particles in space, affecting how they move, potentially offering our planet protection from solar storms. Coincidentally, measurements made by NASA equipment have shown that the extent of the barrier corresponds almost perfectly to the inner boundary of the Van Allen belts, a radiation ring system consisting of a concentration of charged particles that remains in position thanks to the magnetic field. terrestrial.

The rings seem to interfere with the operation of satellites and even spacecraft, and NASA people believe that if it weren't for the protective barrier generated by the VLFs, the Van Allen Belt would be much closer to Earth. Scientists now intend to conduct experiments to find out if ultra-low frequencies can be used to remove excess particles from the outermost layers of the atmosphere - recorded when our planet is hit by intense solar storms and such space events.

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