For the first time, we will witness the breath of Earth, but to do so, we must journey to the Moon.

The NASA instrument on the lunar surface will capture the first images of Earth's magnetic field, as well as its "breathing," reports LiveScience.

This refers to the Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI), which detects X-rays reflecting off Earth's magnetosphere. It is part of the payload that will be launched into space aboard Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Lander on January 15.

Once it lands on the lunar surface, the instrument will activate and focus its gaze on Earth. It will take pictures of the planet's magnetic field by capturing low-energy X-rays that bounce off the surface.

"We expect to see for the first time how Earth's magnetosphere inhales and exhales. When the solar wind is very strong, the magnetosphere will shrink, pressing against Earth, and then expand when the solar wind weakens," says astrophysicist Hendu Connor from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and head of LEXI.

Earth's magnetosphere is shaped by liquid metal within the planet's molten core. It protects Earth and all living things from deadly cosmic rays, as well as from the solar wind emitted by the Sun.

When cosmic rays enter Earth's magnetosphere, they either reflect back into space or get captured along magnetic field lines before crashing into the poles in a process called magnetic reconnection.

This results in magnetic storms on Earth, which are not only responsible for stunning auroras but also pose risks to electrical equipment.

Therefore, seeking answers in this area is critically important; in particular, scientists want to know how cosmic particles fall to Earth. Does it happen in bursts or simultaneously?

"We want to understand how nature behaves, and by understanding this, we can help protect our infrastructure in space," emphasized Connor.

Although LEXI will obtain a complete picture of Earth's magnetosphere for the first time this month, this is not the instrument's first flight into space. In 2012, LEXI, then known as STORM (Sheath Transport Observer for the Redistribution of Mass), was launched into space aboard a sounding rocket to collect X-ray images before falling back to Earth.

After repairing some key components and optics, the instrument is now ready for flight again.

"We are trying to get this overall picture of Earth's space environment. Many sections of physics can be esoteric or difficult to understand without many years of specialized training, but this will be science that you can see," says LEXI's principal investigator Brian Walsh.

As a reminder, an effect that influences Earth's magnetic field has been discovered. The study showed that lightning can create energetic electromagnetic waves that spread extremely far into space.