The fear: such cosmic rays could penetrate astronauts\u2019 bodies and damage DNA<\/a> or increase the risk of developing cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n But thanks to recent research by an international team of researchers, there may be a peculiar \u201ccavity\u201d of reduced cosmic radiation that could provide them with shelter. This cavity includes Moon and extends far beyond it into space, and only appears at a specific moment of time in the Moon\u2019s orbit around the Earth, at which point cosmic rays die down significantly.<\/p>\n As detailed in a paper<\/a> published this week in the journal Science Advances, the team analyzed data collected by China\u2019s Chang\u2019e-4 lander, which became the first spacecraft<\/a> to land and explore the far side of the Moon in early 2019.<\/p>\n They found a surprising \u201cregion of reduced [galactic cosmic ray] flux in the prenoon sector of the lunar orbit,\u201d challenging the presumption that radiation is \u201cuniformly distributed over the Earth-Moon distance.\u201d<\/p>\n A handy illustration by the researchers explains when and where this cavity forms. The white dotted circle illustrates the Moon\u2019s orbit around the Earth. Just before dawn on the Moon, the \u201cgalactic cosmic ray [GCR] cavity,\u201d as illustrated by the brighter streak of light, forms thanks to the Earth\u2019s magnetic field \u2014 sheltering the Earth\u2019s natural satellite from the Sun\u2019s radiation.<\/p>\n The implications for future space travel could be considerable, since the findings suggest that our planet\u2019s protective magnetic field is far more extensive than previously thought.<\/p>\n \u201cThis cavity indicates that the influence of Earth\u2019s magnetic field within the space environment extends unexpectedly up to and far beyond the lunar orbit,\u201d the paper reads.<\/p>\n The cavity appears a few Earth hours after lunar sunrise. A single lunar day lasts for approximately 29.5 Earth days, which means it\u2019s not as fleeting a moment as it sounds, stretching the window to \u201croughly 2 [Earth] days during each lunar revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/sciadv.adv1908-f1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n