Chinese lander reveals giant 'cavity' of radiation between Earth and the moon — and it could change how lunar exploration is done

A diagram showing the Earth in a blue oval surrounded by a white and red dotted line showing the moon's orbit, with labeled areas for different levels of cosmic radiation.

Could being a "morning person" improve your health … on the moon? Scientists have identified what appears to be a "cavity" of reduced cosmic radiation near Earth's moon. The finding could help lower astronauts' exposure to harmful radiation on future lunar missions by timing some surface operations for local morning hours.

The discovery, based on data from China's Chang'e-4 lunar lander, suggests Earth's magnetic field may affect distances in space farther than scientists previously expected. According to the researchers, the finding challenges the long-held assumption that galactic cosmic rays are roughly uniform throughout the space between Earth and the moon outside our planet's protective magnetic field.