earth
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We May Have the Moon’s Now-Defunct Magnetic Field to Thank for Life on Earth
The habitability of a planet depends on many factors. One is the existence of a strong and long-lived magnetic field. These fields are generated thousands of kilometres below the planet’s surface in its liquid core and extend far into space – shielding the atmosphere from harmful solar radiation. Without a strong magnetic field, a planet…
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Asteroid 2018 VP₁ May Be Heading for Earth, But There’s No Need to Worry
Social media around the world lit up over the weekend, discussing the possibility that an asteroid (known as 2018 VP₁) could crash into Earth on November 2. It seemed only fitting. What better way to round off a year that has seen catastrophic floods, explosions, fires, and storms – and, of course, a global pandemic?…
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Are the Earth’s Magnetic Poles About to Swap Places?
Deep inside the Earth, liquid iron is flowing and generating the Earth’s magnetic field, which protects our atmosphere and satellites against harmful radiation from the Sun. This field changes over time, and also behaves differently in different parts of the world. The field can even change polarity completely, with the magnetic north and south poles…
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Why Australia Has Its Own Space Agency In Adelaide
Australia has officially opened its own space agency in Adelaide after it was found to be the only country in the OECD without its own.