Astronomy
How Magnetospheres Shield Planetary Atmospheres from Stellar Energetic Particles
Quick fact
Mars, which lost its global magnetic field billions of years ago, is losing its atmosphere even today: the solar wind strips about a kilogram per second of gas from its atmosphere.
Why this is interesting
Our planet is constantly bombarded by charged particles from the Sun—yet we barely notice it because of an invisible shield. But what if that shield disappeared?