article_snippet: Magnetic reconnection occurs wherever charged gases, called plasma, are present.
article_snippet: Magnetic reconnection taps into the stored energy of the magnetic field, converting The amount of energy released into heat and kinetic energy that sends particles streaming out along the field lines.
article_snippet: The process of magnetic reconnection can release bursts of energy that are as powerful as billions of megatons of TNT, which send particles surging through space at the speed of light.
article_snippet: The process of magnetic reconnection can release bursts of energy (illustrated) that are as powerful as billions of megatons of TNT, which send particles surging through space at the speed of light.