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Sabrina from United Kingdom wrote:What is the magnetic field of the Earth?
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:
Hi Sabrina.
The Earth's magnetic field helps to shield or protect us from charged particles traveling through space - mostly from our Sun. The Sun throws off powerful solar winds and solar storms. Most of these deflect off our magnetic field, but a few particles get trapped in what is called the "Van Allen Belts" in the area around Earth called the Magnetosphere. We can see these charged particles sometimes in the night sky as the Northern Lights or Southern Lights (or called the Aurora borealis (north) and Aurora australis (south)).
Exactly how or what forms the Earth's magnetic field is still being studied by scientists. They think it is probably from a combination the Earth's spinning outer core of molten metal, mostly nickel and iron, and possibly the heat the Earth is generating.
Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher
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Talia from New Zealand wrote:
How can our solar system never end? It has to end at some time doesn't it?
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:
Hi Talia,
That is a great question that one no one knows the answer to. Scientists are trying to understand how big the universe is, where it started and where it could end, but we just don't know. Living here on Earth we are just a small part of the universe. It may take many hundreds of more years before any scientists discovers the answer to your question.
Maybe think about this: circles never end. Maybe our universe is like that?
Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher
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Semaj from the United States wrote:What energy does the sun bring?
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:
Hi Semaj,
The sun sends (radiates) off energy mostly in the form of heat and light and small stream of charged particles called gamma rays. As the energy leaves the hot sun surface and travels across the solar system to Earth it travels in constant waves - like on the surface of the ocean or a river. The waves enter Earth's atmosphere and slow down. They are critical to maintaining life on Earth.
You can find out more about our Sun by clicking on the picture below. It will take you to the Sun article in Glossopedia.
Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher
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Ariana P. from the United States wrote:
when was earth born
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:
Hi Ariana,
Scientists testing rocks believe that Earth, and the rest of the solar system, began to form about 4.5 billion years ago in a giant cloud of dust and gas. Over time, dust particles began to clump together. It probably took the clump that became Earth tens of millions of years to reach its current size. The young Earth had no water, no atmosphere, and no life-forms.
A little over 3.5 million years ago life started to appear on the new Earth.
You can read more about the Earth on Glossopedia:
http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=55&art_nm=Earth
Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher
To learn more click here:
