An invisible electric field that surrounds Earth has been discovered by NASA.
An invisible electric field surrounds the Earth
The US space agency has found the first evidence of the subtle "ambipolar electric field" that could be responsible for the winds that constantly shoot out from the planet's poles.
The experts even suggest that the discovery could provide an explanation as to why life formed on Earth but nowhere else.
The polar winds were spotted back in the 1960s when the first spacecraft orbited Earth but scientists have been unable to pinpoint what causes them until now.
Dr. Glyn Collinson, lead author of the study at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said: "A half a volt is almost nothing - it's only about as strong as a watch battery, but that's just the right amount to explain the polar wind."
He added: "Any planet with an atmosphere should have an ambipolar field.
"Now that we've finally measured it, we can begin learning how it's shaped our planet as well as others over time."