Topic: Van Allen radiation belts

Van Allen radiation belts two belts (sometimes considered as a single belt of varying intensity) of radiation outside the earth's atmosphere, extending from c.400 to c.40,000 mi (c.650-c.65,000 km) above the earth. Their existence was confirmed from information secured by launching the first U.S. earth satellite, Explorer I, sent up during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58. The belts were named for James A. Van Allen , the American astrophysicist who first predicted the belts and then was first to interpret the findings of the Explorer satellite. The region of external bel... Read more