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NASA Finds Lightning Clears Safe Zone in Earth's Radiation Belt Lightning in clouds, only a few miles above the ground, clears a safe zone in the radiation belts thousands of miles above the Earth, according to NASA-funded researchers. The unexpected result resolves a forty-year-old debate as to how the safe zone is formed, and it illuminates how the region is cleared after it is filled with radiation during magnetic storms.The safe zone, called the Van Allen Belt slot, is a potential haven offering reduced radiation dosages for satellites that require Middle Earth Orbits (MEOs). The research may eventually be applied to remove radiation belts around the Earth and other worlds, reducing the hazards of the space environment.
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