[22 Nov 2013] Russia launches Swarm satellites to monitor Earth\'s...
Russia\'s space agency says it has launched the trio of European Space Agency satellites in a mission to study the Earth\'s magnetic field....
Russia\'s space agency says it has launched the trio of European Space Agency satellites in a mission to study the Earth\'s magnetic field.
According to Ros-cosmos, the three Swarm satellites, blasted off into a near-polar orbit, from a launch-pad in north-west Russia. The satellites are controlled by the European Space Agency, the ESA. Over the next four years, they are expected to provide new details about the workings of Earth\'s magnetic field. The collected data will also help the ESA understand why the field appears to be weakening. The Earth\'s field works as a shield that protects the biosphere from charged particles and cosmic radiation.
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[31 Dec 2013] Sun flips upside down while reversing magnetic poles -...
The Sun has undergone a \\\"complete field reversal,\\\" with its north and south poles changing places as it marks the midpoint of Solar...
The Sun has undergone a \\\"complete field reversal,\\\" with its north and south poles changing places as it marks the midpoint of Solar Cycle 24.
Experts say that the reversal of the Sun\\\'s magnetic field is, literally, a big event and it is a regular part of the solar cycle. While it may seem like the event could have catastrophic repercussions for the galaxy, its effects are actually more subtle, mostly interfering with space exploration. Some researchers say cosmic rays are a danger to astronauts and space probes and might affect the cloudiness and climate of Earth. NASA has released a visualization of how the switch occurs. Beginning in 1997 and ending in 2013, it shows the green positive polarity switching with the purple negative polarity. Solar Cycle 24 has been viewed as quite unpredictable. First, it came late by about a year, with extremely low activity recorded throughout 2009. This prompted astronomers to shift a predicted 2012 peak to 2013.
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