NASA discovers a strange energy field around Earth that could change our notions about the atmosphere and space exploration.

Recently, NASA announced the discovery of an unknown energy field around the Earth, called the dipole electric field. This surprising discovery is not just a common atmospheric phenomenon, but rather one of the main factors affecting the dynamics of the Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists compare the importance of this field to gravity and magnetism, which are essential elements for understanding our planet.

This discovery was made possible by the Endurance mission, a rocket mission that discovered the dipole electric field for the first time. This field, which was theoretically proposed more than 60 years ago, is crucial to the formation of polar winds, a stream of charged particles that are launched from Earth’s polar region into space. These particles are accelerated to supersonic speeds, overcoming Earth’s gravity, and are launched into space without preheating.

The dipole electric field has a minimum voltage of 0.55 volts, equivalent to the power of a watch battery, but enough to cause charged particles, such as hydrogen ions, to escape Earth’s gravity. In addition to hydrogen, other ions, such as oxygen, are also affected, contributing to the expansion of the ionosphere, an important atmospheric layer for transmitting radio waves.

NASA also noted that this discovery could have implications for understanding other planets, such as Venus and Mars, that have atmospheres similar to Earth. With this, it will be possible to explore whether these planets also have a dipole electric field, which may open new possibilities for understanding the habitability of other celestial bodies in the universe.

The impact of this discovery goes beyond atmospheric science. It could impact the future of space exploration by providing new insights into how atmospheric components behave and are expelled into space. This may be necessary for future missions, especially to Mars, which has lost much of its atmosphere over time.

The Endurance mission, which began in the Arctic, provided concrete evidence of the presence and intensity of this electric field through analysis of polar winds. From these measurements, new research opportunities have emerged, both on Earth and on other planets.

This discovery represents a major advance in atmospheric science and space exploration, highlighting the importance of the dipole electric field in maintaining planetary atmospheres and the habitability of other planets.

With information from: Ecoticias