Magnetic Field Explosions Above the Earth Captured by NASA MMS Spacecrafts

According to NASA, space is not actually empty but is full of magnetic force and their activities like magnetic explosions. NASA launched project MMS to observe the said celestial activity for future space missions and in order to protect the astronauts in space.

One magnetic activity being observed is the magnetic reconnection. It happens when two magnetic fields collide and reconnect. The process greatly affects the acceleration of things in the outer space.

Just outside the Earth's atmosphere is "magnetosphere" where the magnetic field on Earth reacts and collides with the magnetic field of the Sun.

The Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) is sent outside Earth to study these occurrences. There are four spacecrafts forcing themselves inside a magnetic reconnection to understand the process. According to NASA, it's "like seeing debris flung out from a tornado, but never seeing the storm itself." 

NASA explained that MMS' role is to plunge into the center of magnetic explosion. The MMS can plunge  into the eye of the magnetic reconnection and with its equipments, it is like NASA is putting a sensor in the eye of an invisible hurricane or storm.

Although magnetic reconnection happens often, only in 2015, when MMS was launched were man was able to record and study the magnetic explosion.

"Magnetic reconnection converts magnetic energy into kinetic or thermal energy. It's important to understand this phenomenon because it influences the "space weather" found in the Earth's magnetosphere" Engadget said. The study of magnetic activities is integral for future space missions and the safety of our astronauts in space because magnetic fields are great source of radiation as well.

Science further shared the recent findings from MMS mission, saying that they found evidence that magnetic energy is converted to particle energy when magnetic fields collide. Because of these findings, NASA is more committed to learn more about the invisible magnetic explosion happening just outside our atmosphere.

"One of the mysteries of magnetic reconnection is why it's explosive in some cases, steady in others, and in some cases, magnetic reconnection doesn't occur at all," said Tom Moore, mission scientist for MMS at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. 

Thanks to MMS, NASA and their scientist can further observe and understand how magnetic field outside of Earth could affect human live in and out of the planet.