Magnetosphere: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 18, 2026

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Sun News: M Flare and a Coronal Hole Facing Earth • Oct. 16, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (EarthSky)

Photos

Earth's magnetosphere and plasmasphere

northern portion of magnetopause current

Diagram showing the solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the sun, interacting with Earth's magnetic field and magnetosphere, causing some particles to spiral near the poles and create auroras.

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

Van Allen radiation belt magnetosheath magnetopause magnetospheric substorm field-aligned current system magnetospheric convection magnetotail current Plasmapause Chapman-Ferraro current system geomagnetic field Protonosphere F region D region E region polar wandering Geomagnetic storm Electrojet

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