• The "killer electrons" have been known to threaten astronauts, fry satellites and degrade space systems during intense solar storms
  • The shield is located in the Van Allen radiation belt and consists of two doughnut-shaped rings that are filled with high-energy electrons and protons
  • The scientists originally thought the highly charged electrons, which are looping around Earth at more than 100,000 miles per second, would slowly drift downward into the upper atmosphere and gradually be wiped out by interactions with air molecules, but instead found out that they are kept in place by the shield

Share This Article