magnetic field

More than 500 million years ago, strange, complex creatures appeared on Earth. Scientists now think they know why

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Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. Earth’s magnetic field plays a key role in making our planet habitable. The protective bubble above the atmosphere protects the planet from solar radiation, wind, cosmic radiation and wild temperature fluctuations. However, Earth’s magnetic field … Read more

Earth’s magnetic field nearly collapsed 591 million years ago. It may have allowed complex life to thrive

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Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. Earth’s magnetic field plays a key role in making our planet habitable. The protective bubble above the atmosphere protects the planet from solar radiation, wind, cosmic radiation and wild temperature fluctuations. However, Earth’s magnetic field … Read more

Debris from burning satellites can affect Earth’s magnetic field

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The environmental impacts of spaceflight are becoming increasingly apparent as more and more spacecraft are launched into Earth’s orbit. The growing number of satellites burning up in Earth’s atmosphere has worried scientists for years, and now a new paper explores how the emerging shell of “conductive dust” around the planet, resulting from satellite re-entry, could … Read more

Ancient bricks fired when Nebuchadnezzar II was king absorbed a surge of electricity in the Earth’s magnetic field

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Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. Thousands of years ago, Earth’s magnetic field experienced a significant surge across a portion of the planet, which included the ancient kingdom of Mesopotamia. People at the time probably didn’t even notice the fluctuation, but … Read more

Ancient rocks reveal new clues about a massive anomaly in Earth’s magnetic field

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Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. Thousands of years ago, Earth’s magnetic field experienced a significant surge across a portion of the planet, which included the ancient kingdom of Mesopotamia. People at the time probably didn’t even notice the fluctuation, but … Read more

Earth’s magnetic field protects life on Earth from radiation, but it can move and its magnetic poles can even flip

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The Earth’s magnetic field plays a major role in protecting people from dangerous radiation and geomagnetic activity that can affect satellite communications and the operation of power grids. And it moves. Scientists have studied and tracked the movement of the magnetic poles for centuries. The historical movement of these poles indicates a change in the … Read more