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Origin of Cosmic Rays Revealed

Posted by samzenpus on from the fantastic-four dept.

neutron_p writes "An international team of astronomers has produced the first ever image of an astronomical object using high energy gamma rays, helping to solve a 100 year old mystery - an origin of cosmic rays. The astronomers studied the remnant of a supernova that exploded some 1,000 years ago, leaving behind an expanding shell of debris which, seen from the Earth, is twice the diameter of the Moon. Cosmic rays are extremely energetic particles that continually bombard the Earth, thousands of them passing through our bodies every day."

27 of 225 comments (clear)

  1. We've traced the cosmic rays! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    They're coming from inside your house! Get out of your house!

    1. Re:We've traced the cosmic rays! by Bastian · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's safe. I bought an Ionic Breeze Quadra. It filters out harmful indoor air pollutants such as cosmic rays with the power of ions.

      It also cleans my laundry with the power of oxygen.

  2. Eep. by deemaunik · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Cosmic rays are extremely energetic particles that continually bombard the Earth, thousands of them passing through our bodies every day." I feel so Violated.

    1. Re:Eep. by tmacd · · Score: 5, Funny

      I probably shouldn't mention that 610 trillion neutrinos are passing right through your body in the second it takes to read this line, then.

      http://www.npl.washington.edu/AV/altvw13.html

    2. Re:Eep. by JanneM · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't worry - any day now they'll pass an amendment forbidding any bodily penetration except between men and women.

      --
      Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    3. Re:Eep. by fireman+sam · · Score: 4, Funny

      Pfft, I eat nutrinos for breakfast... Oh um, sorry I'm thinking of fruiy O's. my bad.

      --
      it is only after a long journey that you know the strength of the horse.
    4. Re:Eep. by sik0fewl · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe for you guys in the US, but what about the rest of us? We'll be doomed I tell you. DOOOMED!

      --
      I remember when legal used to mean lawful, now it means some kind of loophole. - Leo Kessler
  3. Let me guess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Cosmos?

  4. Not through these precious bodily fluids by thrillseeker · · Score: 3, Funny
    Cosmic rays are extremely energetic particles that continually bombard the Earth, thousands of them passing through our bodies every day.

    Not with my handy-dandy tinfoil hat.

    1. Re:Not through these precious bodily fluids by meringuoid · · Score: 5, Funny
      Tinfoil hat? I wear a neutronium helmet!

      Unfortunately, I've had to have a scrith-reinforced prosthetic spine installed, and I have to stand on a floor plate made of Xeelee construction material... Exotic matter comes with its own set of health hazards.

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  5. cosmic rays by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Cosmic rays are extremely energetic particles that continually bombard the Earth, thousands of them passing through our bodies every day."

    You mean it's like intergalactic spam?

  6. DO NOT PANICE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The goatse man acts as a black, er, red hole and absorbs them making it safe for us.

    Except for the ones his wedding ring reflects, those are trouble.

    1. Re:DO NOT PANICE by mrchaotica · · Score: 3, Funny

      Wow, you enjoy looking at goatse enough to have noticed that he has a wedding ring?!

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    2. Re:DO NOT PANICE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      No, it's just that he's wearing the matching ring.

  7. Kill it with laws! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Cosmic rays are extremely energetic particles that continually bombard the Earth, thousands of them passing through our bodies every day."

    WHAT??! We need to BAN THEM, like NOW!

  8. The Terrible Secret of Space by l1nuxpunk · · Score: 3, Funny

    Space has a terrible power. We are here to protect you from the terrible secret of space. Do you have stairs in your house?

    Pak chooie unf.

    --
    Prontab.net - Porn for geeks. (nsfw)
  9. It still doesn't explain by artemis67 · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... how the "cosmic rays" can make Mr. Fantastic so stretchy.

    1. Re:It still doesn't explain by Zangief · · Score: 4, Funny

      ... how the "cosmic rays" can make Mr. Fantastic so stretchy.

      They didn't. Cosmic rays just activated the x-factor in the fantastic four, which would have stayed dormant otherwise, because they weren't mutants.

      "Normal" mutants get their x-factor activated naturally, during the teen years.

      (OMG, I can't believe I knew that)

  10. Re:Uh, no... by Donoho · · Score: 2, Funny

    Thousands of cosmic rays do not pass through our bodies every day...

    Damn it!. And here I thought I was being trasformed onto the Thing, when in fact I just need to pick up some tinactin.

    Thanks a lot. Though I was curious as to why the transformation was starting between my toes.

    --
    Michalangelo Progr
  11. Oh, all right then, I'll do it. by Halfkiring · · Score: 2, Funny

    [In Eyeore intonation, with a heavy heart]:

    "I, for one, welcome our new supernoverlords."

    There. Somebody had to.

  12. Re:Cosmic rays and computers by gralves · · Score: 4, Funny

    During my freshman years they were also responsible for every error on physical lab expirements. :)

  13. Origin of cosmic rays revealed... by isny · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's people!!! Cosmic rays is people!!

  14. Re:Here are some beautiful visualizations... by hisstory+student · · Score: 2, Funny

    Let's face it .. if it weren't for this, some people would never get a shower.

    --
    Heard any good sigs lately?
  15. Re:*A* source, not *the* source by Stevyn · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's not a source. It's like going around a college campus and asking around for drugs. Eventually you'll find the guy who'll say "Alright that guys has 21% of a bag of weed, this guy has the other 13%, she has....

    well, you get the point. And when you eventually get to the narc who had the last 8%, you're the one that gets in trouble.

  16. Call me Reed. Reed Richards. by revxul · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm suddenly feeling stretchy...

    --
    Truth, Just Us, And Hatred For All Mankind!
  17. Obligatory SG-1 quote... by elFarto+the+2nd · · Score: 2, Funny

    "If you'd had been listening, you'd know nintendos pass right through you" - Jack O'Neill

  18. Mommy, where do cosmic rays come from? by rdurell · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, when two cosimc bodies really love each other... yadda yadda yadda... Big Bang... and the next thing you knwo they have little Cosmic Ray.