University satellites "YUZGU-55" delivered to the ISS will help scientists confirm the assumption that the Kursk magnetic anomaly may be the cause of the formation of a thick layer of black soil in this region. This was told by Yegor Shilenkov, the main developer of satellites that will allow you to build an accurate map of the Earth's magnetic field.

“Our Kursk chernozem may be associated with a magnetic field – there is such a hypothesis,” says Shilenkov. According to him, in the course of previous studies it was found that the density of the magnetic field over the Kursk region is four times greater than over the North Pole.

The Earth's magnetic field protects the surface from cosmic rays, which are made up of charged particles. These rays harm many living organisms, including agricultural plants. Accordingly, the stronger the magnetic field, the stronger the protection and, perhaps, the better the formation of the chernozem layer.

As a counterexample, Shilenkov cited the Brazilian magnetic anomaly, where the field density is significantly reduced. “It's a big area with dangerous radiation,” he says. “This zone is dangerous both for agriculture and for the flight of the satellites themselves, which also suffer from radiation.”

The constructed map will help scientists check whether there really is a connection between the Kursk magnetic anomaly and the fertility of the region. The final constellation of satellites created by the Research Institute of Space Instrumentation and Radioelectronic Systems of the Southwestern State University in the city of Kursk will consist of eight vehicles. An additional two YuZGU-55 cubesats will be delivered to the ISS by another supply ship in June. In August or September, cosmonaut Oleg Artemiev will launch them into outer space, where they will work for about a year and a half.

bbabo.Net