What is Aeronomy?

About Aeronomy:

• The term “aeronomy,” coined and introduced about 60 years ago.
• It refers to the scientific study of the upper atmospheric regions of the Earth and other solar system bodies.
• It includes the distribution of temperature, density, and chemical constituents, and the chemical reactions that occur.
• It also includes the studies of aurora, airglow, the ionosphere, Van Allen radiation belts, cosmic rays, and radiative and photochemical phenomena.
• It covers the chemistry, dynamics and energy balance of both neutral and charged particles.

Q1) What are Van Allen Radiation Belts?

The Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles, which mostly originate from the solar wind and are captured and held around a planet by that planet’s magnetic field.

Source: PIB