However, there’s a catch. Before electrons can be accelerated by these shock waves, they need to contain a certain amount of energy to begin with. Nobody knows how electrons gain this initial energy.

During this event, electrons in Earth's foreshock region—an area where the solar wind is predisturbed by its interaction with the bow shock—reached unprecedented energy levels, surpassing 500 keV.

During this event, electrons in Earth's foreshock region -- an area where the solar wind is predisturbed by its interaction with the bow shock -- reached unprecedented energy levels, surpassing ...