The pink lines in the image represent the magnetic field lines of the Earth.
Click on image for full size
Windows to the Universe original image
Basic Facts About the Effects of Magnetic Fields on Charged Particles
Magnetic fields can cause particles to move in these three ways:


Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
Our
online store includes a wide range of Nature's Own products, including
minerals,
fossils,
onyx household items, and
jewelry for the rock lover in all of us!
You might also be interested in:

Protons and electrons can't move across magnetic field lines very easily. So sometimes these particles are are forced to spiral around them. Electrons cirle the field line in one direction, protons in
...more
Some particles do move along the field lines of the Earth. The crowded magnetic field lines near the poles cause particles to "reflect" and move back the same direction the from which they came. They bounce
...more
The magnetic field of the sun (the IMF) is distorted in passing over the comet, taking a long time to slip around the sizeable ion cloud which forms the comet coma. The stretched magnetic field lines form
...more
Dangerous particles don't hit the Earth's surface because they are forced by the magnetic field to move around the Earth. Particles do enter at the funnels over the poles or they gain entry far downstream
...more
A magnetosphere has many parts, such as the bow shock, magnetosheath, magnetotail, plasmasheet, lobes, plasmasphere, radiation belts and many electric currents. It is composed of charged particles and
...more
Motions within Earth's metallic core generate the planet's global magnetic field. This magnetic field extends beyond Earth's surface and atmosphere into the space surrounding our home planet. The interaction
...more
AU stands for Astronomical Units. It is a useful way to measure the distances in interplanetary space. It is the distance between the Earth and the Sun, which is about 93 million miles. For reference,
...more