This image is a summary of the main features of the plasmasphere: the plasmapause, main body of the plasmasphere, dusk-bulge region and detached plasma regions outside the main body of the plasmasphere
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The Earth's Plasmasphere
You may have heard your teacher talk about the
4 states of matter. Do you remember what they are? Solids (like your desk), liquids (like the milk you pour in your cereal), gases (like the air you blow into a balloon) and...
plasma!
The Earth is actually surrounded by plasma! If you look at the picture to the left, the blue ring is all plasma. It's like the Earth is surrounded by an inner tube made up of plasma...or maybe you'd like to call it a plasma donut. Scientists have a big word for this inner tube or plamsa donut - the plasmasphere.
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