Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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."

10 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.
  3. Let me guess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Cosmos?

  4. 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. 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)

  6. 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. :)