We can picture our magnetic domain as a huge bubble, protecting us from cosmic radiation and electrically charged atomic particles that bombard Earth in solar winds. Satellites and instruments on the ground keep a constant watch over this bubble of magnetic energy surrounding our planet. The same field makes your compass needle align north to south. Credit and copyright: Peter Reid, University of EdinburghĪlthough invisible to the eye, Earth’s magnetic field plays a huge role in both keeping us safe from the ever-present solar and cosmic winds while making possible the opportunity to witness incredible displays of the northern lights. Like a giant bar magnet, if you could sprinkle iron filings around the entire Earth, the particles would align to reveal the nested arcs of our magnetic domain. The flow of liquid iron in Earth’s core creates electric currents, which in turn creates the magnetic field. Unlike a classic bar magnet, the matter governing Earth’s magnetic field moves around.
Illustration of the invisible magnetic field lines generated by the Earth.