The Van Allen radiation belts are two layers of charged particles that surround the Earth, held in place by the planet's magnetic field. These belts consist mainly of electrons and protons, which are trapped by the Earth's magnetosphere. The inner belt extends from about 1,000 to 12,000 kilometers above the Earth's surface, while the outer belt stretches from about 13,000 to 58,000 kilometers. These radiation belts were discovered in 1958 by James Van Allen and his team using data from the first American satellite, Explorer 1. The belts play a crucial role in protecting the Earth from harmful solar and cosmic radiation, but they can also pose risks to satellites and astronauts traveling through space.