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

China's Chang'e-4 lunar lander discovered a "cavity" of reduced cosmic radiation between Earth and the moon, where harmful radiation drops by 20% during local morning hours. This finding suggests Earth's magnetic field extends farther into space than previously thought, potentially allowing astronauts on future lunar missions to reduce radiation exposure by timing surface operations for morning hours.