Monitoring the Van Allen Belts

Today's Video of the Day from NASA Goddard describes the Van Allen Belts, which are donut-shaped clouds of radiation that surround the Earth. The clouds are made of helium, oxygen, and wild protons and electrons. When these particles move at a fast pace, radiation is formed that can interfere with our technology and communication. In 2012, NASA launched the Van Allen Probes to study how these radiation belts change in intensity and size. -- By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer Video Credit: NASA Goddard