Where exactly are the Van Allen radiation belts?
Nowadays, people in the know never refer to empty space, for our probing satellites have proved that the vast reaches between the planets are populated with energetic particles. This knowledge unfolded bit by bit, arid the discovery of the Van Allen belts came as a great shock. These amazing belts of radiation were discovered in l958 and there has not been time to survey them in exact detail. They are vast doughnut shaped areas of highly charged particles that exist between the earth and outer space. Early information on the two Van Allen belts is a vital study of our space program. Many satellites have gathered and relayed data, and We have learned ways for interplanetary spacecraft to escape the radiation hazards of the belts. No one can pinpoint the exact boundaries of the hazardous areas. We can, however, give their approximate dimensions and shapes but they tend to change with solar activity. The outer boundary is figured in units of the earth’s radius, which is about 4,000 miles.
