'Space tsunami' causes the third Van Allen Belt

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Earth's magnetosphere, the region of space dominated by Earth's magnetic field, protects our planet from the harsh battering of the solar wind. Like a protective shield, the magnetosphere absorbs and deflects plasma from the solar wind which originates from the Sun. Extreme space weather storms can create intense radiation in the Van Allen belts and drive electrical currents which can damage terrestrial electrical power grids. Earth could then be at risk for up to trillions of dollars of damage.
via Science Daily
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Newborn giant planet grazes its star

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For the past 20 years, exoplanets known as 'hot Jupiters' have puzzled astronomers. These giant planets orbit 100 times closer to their host stars than Jupiter does to the Sun, which increases their surface temperatures. But how and when in their history did they migrate so close to their star? Now, an international team of astronomers has announced the discovery of a very young hot Jupiter orbiting in the immediate vicinity of a star that is barely two million years old -- the stellar equivalent of a week-old infant. This first-ever evidence that hot Jupiters can appear at such an early stage represents a major step forward in our understanding of how planetary systems form and evolve.
via Science Daily
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NASA's K2 finds newborn exoplanet around young star

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Astronomers have discovered the youngest fully formed exoplanet ever detected. The newfound planet, K2-33b, is a bit larger than Neptune and whips tightly around its star every five days. It is only 5 to 10 million years old, making it one of a very few newborn planets found to date.
via Science Daily
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Space weather patterns: Plasma in near-Earth space was twice as heavy around 1958 and 1970

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A Japanese team have digitalized magnetogram recordings taken before direct observations by satellites became available. The analog recordings, taken for 72 years since the early 20th century, provide a window onto space weather in the mid-1900s and shed light onto future patterns of plasma movement in near-earth space.
via Science Daily
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Strong 'electric wind' strips planets of oceans and atmospheres

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Venus has an 'electric wind' strong enough to remove the components of water from its upper atmosphere, which may have played a significant role in stripping the planet of its oceans.
via Science Daily
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Venus has potential – but not for water

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ESA’s Venus Express may have helped to explain the puzzling lack of water on Venus. The planet has a surprisingly strong electric field – the first time this has been measured at any planet – that is sufficient to deplete its upper atmosphere of oxygen, one of the components of water.

via ESA Space Science
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/Venus_has_potential_but_not_for_water

Sunrise Solstice over Stonehenge

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The spider in the loop

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Space Science Image of the Week: This Planck view of the North Celestial Loop shows its wispy filaments in detail, including a feature nicknamed ‘the Spider’
via ESA Space Science
http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/The_spider_in_the_loop