Earth magnetosphere diagram. In the 1940s walter m. Earths magnetosphere is a vast comet shaped bubble which has played a crucial role in our planets habitability. Other planets in our solar system have magnetospheres but earth has the strongest one of all the rocky planets. A magnetosphere is the region around a planet dominated by the planets magnetic field.
This asymmetrical region surrounds earth extending from about one hundred to several thousand kilometers about 36000 miles above the surface. The shape of the earths magnetosphere is the direct result of being blasted by solar wind. Study of earths magnetosphere began in 1600 when william gilbert discovered that the magnetic field on the surface of earth resembled that on a terrella a small magnetized sphere. The magnetosphere is formed by the interaction of the solar wind with earths magnetic field.
The magnetosphere prevents most of the particles from the sun carried by solar wind from hitting the earth. Earths magnetic field also known as the geomagnetic field is the magnetic field that extends from the earths interior out into space where it interacts with the solar wind a stream of charged particles emanating from the sun. This figure illustrates the shape and size of earths magnetic field that is continually changing as it is buffeted. Before the solar wind was discovered the earths field was thought to be symmetrical resembling that of a huge bar magnet fading off indefinitely into space.
Our shield in space the earth sun battle in order for any solar particle to reach the earth it must first pass through the earths magnetic field. Notice that the south pole of that magnet is deep in earths interior below earths north magnetic pole. Elsasser proposed the model of dynamo theory which attributes earths magnetic field to the motion of earths iron outer core. The shape of the earths magnetosphere is the direct result of being blasted by solar wind.
A magnetosphere is that area of space around a planet that is controlled by the planets magnetic field. This shield the magnetosphere is bullet shaped with a nose that lies about 64000 kilometers just over 39768 miles toward the sun. Earths magnetosphere is actually a cavity within the suns particle flow aka solar wind. This diagram illustrates the solar wind flowing around and beyond earths magnetic shield.
However we now know that the solar wind shapes the outer regions of. Earths magnetic field is. Its outer layer the magnetosheath is a transition layer where interplanetary space meets earths suit of armor the magnetosheath is just outside the boundary of.