NASA CubeSat finds new radiation belts after May 2024 solar storm
by Mara Johnson-Groh, NASA
The largest solar storm in two decades hit Earth in May 2024, causing brilliant auroras...
New belts amaze scientists
The innermost of the two new belts included energetic protons, a unique composition...
| Aspect | Previous Behavior | New Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | Around 4 weeks | Lasted over 3 months |
| Composition | Mostly electrons | Included high-energy electrons and protons |
| Impact of storms | Few effects | Significant particle energy shifts |
CubeSat fortuitously comes back to life
NASA's CIRBE satellite, a CubeSat, was meant to investigate the effects of solar activity on the Earth's environment and the newly discovered belts were a surprise...
The findings from this study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics...
For more information on this discovery...
Conclusion
The findings from the CIRBE satellite are expected to influence understanding of solar storm impacts...
