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The charged particles trapped in Earth's magnetosphere flow out from where?
AThe cold outer solar system
BThe hot surface of the Sun
CThe upper layers of Jupiter
DThe core of our own planet
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. The hot surface of the Sun
1. A magnetic field can only trap particles that are already moving through space.
2. A steady stream of charged particles leaves the hot surface of the Sun.
3. That stream is the solar wind, and Earth's field catches part of it.
4. The same wind also stretches our field out on the side facing away from the Sun.
_Source: OpenStax Astronomy (CC BY 4.0), section 8.1 The Global Perspective_
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