It is known as the 'bermuda triangle of space' and is one of the most dangerous areas of radiation ever encountered.
European researchers today revealed a glimpse into the bizarre radiation zone a few hundred kilometres above the coast of Brazil.
Known as the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), it is the point where the Van Allen radiation belts – rings of charged particles that surround Earth – come closest to the planet's surface.
The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is an area which exposes orbiting satellites to higher-than-usual levels of radiation.
WHAT IS THE SAA
This anomaly is part of a radiation belt, which is a ring of trapped solar radiation between 1000 and 6000 kilometres above the Earth’s surface.
This exists due to weak points in the planet’s magnetic field, with one of these weak points sitting right where the Bermuda Triangle of Space is located.
The South Atlantic Anomaly is of great significance to astronomical satellites and other spacecraft which orbit the Earth at several hundred kilometers altitude; these orbits take satellites through the anomaly periodically, exposing them to several minutes of strong radiation.
When the belts were discovered in the 1950s, scientists suspected the SAA could pose some risk.
Astronauts' on the space shuttle complained laptop computers would sometimes crash when they passed through the anomaly.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2640056/Strange-flashing-lights-radiation-risks-The-bermuda-triangle-space-revealed-unprecedented-detail.html#ixzz32vHP3dX2
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