What Are the Van Allen Belts? And How Can We Get Past Them?

The Van Allen Belts surround the Earth with deadly radiation. What can we do to get past them and escape into deep space? Support us at: More stories at: Follow us on Twitter: @universetoday Like us on Facebook: Google - universetoday/ Instagram - Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@ Karla Thompson - @karlaii / Chad Weber - @ Chloe Cain - Instagram: @chloegwen2001 Good news everyone, there’s a magnetic force field surrounding the Earth and protecting it from harmful radiation from space. Deadly solar radiation streaming from the Sun and cosmic rays coming from other stars are stopped dead in their tracks by this protective magnetosphere. But also bad news, this force field is a swirling donut-shaped field of deadly deadly radiation. Any astronauts wanting to go to deep space will need to pass through this region, and take an increased dose of radiation. I’m talking, of course, about the Earth’s Van Allen Belts. Playlist: