Van Allen radiation belt: Quick Facts

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Photos

Cross-sectional diagram showing Earth's magnetosphere, with the Van Allen radiation belts encircling the planet, surrounded by labeled regions including the atmosphere, magnetosheath, neutral sheet, and the flow of solar wind.

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Topics

Magnetosphere Plasmapause

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Ionosphere and magnetosphere: Van Allen radiation belts

Key People

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James A. Van Allen

American physicist