In May 2024, an unprecedented solar storm struck Earth with such force that its impact rippled through the planet’s atmosphere, deep into the oceans, and even beyond.
The storm’s power was unmistakable—intense solar flares bombarded our magnetic field, sparking dazzling auroras that stretched as far south as Texas and Spain.
But what happened next was even more astonishing. Scientists monitoring Earth’s radiation environment discovered something completely unexpected: two new radiation belts forming around our planet—high-energy particle rings that lingered for months.
While Earth has long been known to host two permanent radiation belts, called the Van Allen belts, this storm introduced something scientists had never seen before—an entirely new belt containing energetic protons.
“When we compared the data from before and after the storm, I said, ‘Wow, this is something really new,’” said physicist Xinlin Li of the University of Colorado Boulder. “This is really stunning.”
A Cosmic Shield: Earth’s Radiation Belts
Earth’s radiation belts act as a shield, protecting the planet from harmful solar and cosmic radiation. The Van Allen belts—one inner and one outer—are formed by charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. They serve as a natural defense system, preventing many high-energy solar particles from directly reaching our atmosphere.
During solar storms, these belts can become unstable, fluctuating in intensity as new waves of solar radiation flood Earth’s magnetic field. Scientists have observed this phenomenon before—temporary radiation belts forming after solar storms—but never had they detected a belt primarily composed of high-energy protons.
Breaking the Rules: The Unexpected Behavior of the New Radiation Belts
Traditionally, when temporary radiation belts form, they last for weeks before dissipating. However, the new belts formed in May 2024 persisted for a record-breaking three months. In fact, scientists estimate that some of the proton-rich belt’s particles may still be lingering in Earth’s orbit even now.
What made this storm so different?
According to data collected by NASA’s Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment CubeSat, the sheer volume and intensity of the storm injected an unprecedented amount of energy into Earth’s magnetic environment. The new belts were found sandwiched between the usual Van Allen belts, altering the expected dynamics of Earth’s magnetosphere.
“These are really high-energy electrons and protons that have found their way into Earth’s inner magnetic environment,” explained David Sibeck, an astronomer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “Some might stay in this place for a very long time.”
A Hidden Risk: What These Belts Mean for Satellites and Space Travel
Radiation belts aren’t just a scientific curiosity—they pose a serious threat to satellites, astronauts, and even future space missions. High-energy particles trapped in Earth’s magnetic field can cause severe damage to spacecraft, leading to electronic failures, degraded communication systems, and shortened satellite lifespans.
This discovery raises critical questions:
- Could future solar storms create even more persistent radiation belts?
- How do these belts affect the growing number of satellites in low-Earth orbit?
- Should space agencies revise their spacecraft shielding and radiation protection measures?
Understanding these phenomena is crucial. While most of the new belts’ particles were scattered by subsequent solar storms in June and August of 2024, some of the energetic protons are expected to persist for over a year—an unprecedented duration for such an event. Ongoing research aims to measure their decay rate and assess their long-term impact on space travel and satellite operations.
Looking Ahead: What This Means for the Future
As the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, scientists anticipate more intense solar storms in the coming years. The possibility of additional radiation belts forming during extreme space weather events is now a reality.
For space agencies and private companies investing in satellite technology, these findings are a wake-up call. Better shielding, improved space weather forecasting, and new engineering solutions will be essential to protect our growing infrastructure in orbit.
For now, researchers are closely monitoring Earth’s magnetosphere, hoping to unlock the secrets of these mysterious radiation belts before the next big storm hits.
References
- Li, Xinlin et al. (2025). Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics.
- NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center reports.
- Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment CubeSat data analysis.
