From using magnets to help social distancing to breakthroughs in magnetic field research— 2020 was an eventful year in the world of magnetic discoveries. In order to celebrate the end of the year, let’s take a look back at some of our favorite magnetic news stories! Magnets in the Pandemic Through robotic end-of-arms tools and self-driving cars, automation has helped maintain safety, especially during the pandemic. In fact, magnets became an important part of ensuring social distancing during COVID-19. Process automation uses technology, and in this case, specifically, magnets, to reduce manual effort and personal contact, enabling an easier environment for social distancing. You can read more about how magnets help in automation here! Dent in the Magnetic Field Late summer,  scientists watched closely as a dent evolved within Earth’s Magnetic Field. Scientists have known about this weak spot for decades now, but it’s of importance right now due to one crucial factor — it’s apparent growth. This weak spot phenomenon is called The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) and is categorized as an area where the magnetic field is weaker than normal, resulting in a “dent.” This isn’t anything to worry about but it is important to monitor as experts say the weak spot could cause glitches or permanent damage to satellites as they fly through the region. Read the full story here.  Ancient Magnetism Found on Mars Earlier this year brought the first steps into NASA getting a better understanding of Mars’ ancient interior. While Mars doesn’t have a magnetic field today, it did 4 billion years ago, and ancient rocks underneath the surface have been found to be still magnetized. By using a magnetometer for measurements, NASA found that Mars’ surface magnetism is 10x larger than expected. Furthermore, researchers were able to view a glimpse into Mars’ ancient past at a shallow crater nicknamed ‘Homestead Hollow.’ Read all about it here.  Megatesla Magnetic Field Discovery  Recently, scientists at Osaka University discovered a new mechanism, named a “microtube implosion,” which exhibited the generation of megatesla order magnetic fields, which is a higher magnitude than anything that has been found in previous laboratory research. Basically, by using a supercomputer, scientists have new findings that have reached a level of the magnetic field only seen in black holes and neutron stars! Read more about the research here! More From Apex 2020 was pretty remarkable in terms of magnetic research, and this list is only scratching the surface. We can’t wait to see what is discovered in 2021! To stay on top of all magnet-related news, be sure to follow along on our blog.