Surrounded by radiation belts, Earth is being protected by an invisible shield that stops high-speed “killer electrons,” scientists have found after taking a closer look at the Van Allen belt 7,200 miles above our planet. “Somewhat like the shields created by force fields on Star Trek that were used to repel alien weapons, we are seeing an invisible shield blocking these electrons,” the study’s... 

Two giant swaths of radiation, known as the Van Allen Belts, surrounding Earth were discovered in 1958. Scientists assumed that there were only two radiation rings around the Earth, but a recently-launched NASA probe has detected a new “temporary” belt. As radiation rings pose serious hazards, the finding have implications for future manned flights. The third belt of radioactive energy particles...