Tag

Cosmic Rays

All articles tagged with #cosmic rays

space5 days ago•14 min saved

Cosmic Ray Light Shows: Astronauts See Retinal Flashes from Apollo to the ISS

Astronaut Don Pettit described seeing “luminous dancing fairies” in the ISS, a retinal flash caused by galactic cosmic rays that pierce the craft and the eye. Apollo crews reported similar flashes, and the ALTEA detectors on the ISS linked heavy-ion particles to these events, explained by direct ionization or Cherenkov radiation. Although brief and seemingly harmless, these particles pose long-term brain and eye health risks for deep-space missions, influencing radiation-mitigation strategies for Artemis and future journeys to the Moon and Mars.

via Space Daily|

#apollo-program #astronauts #cosmic-rays

space18 days ago•10 min saved

Cosmic Rays Flash Lights for ISS Crews

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station report seeing flashes of light with eyes closed caused by high-energy cosmic rays passing through their bodies, either directly ionizing the retina or via Cherenkov radiation. Historical experiments (SilEye/ALTEA) linked particle tracks to the flashes, confirming the phenomenon and highlighting space radiation as a detectable, personal readout of exposure and a major shielding challenge for long-duration missions.

via Space Daily|

#cherenkov-radiation #cosmic-rays #iss

science27 days ago•10 min saved

Cosmic Rays Flicker in Space: Apollo Astronauts See Lights in the Dark

Apollo astronauts trying to sleep en route to the Moon saw brief, colorless flashes linked to cosmic rays passing through the eye; Apollo 16/17 detectors tied particle tracks to the reports, supporting retinal ionization and related mechanisms, though the exact biophysics remains debated. The finding highlights that deep-space radiation can be perceptible and poses a concern for long-duration missions beyond Earth.

via Space Daily|

#apollo-missions #astronaut-vision #cosmic-rays

science1 month ago•18 min saved

DAMPE uncovers universal rigidity signature in cosmic rays, settling a long debate

The DAMPE space telescope has directly detected a universal spectral softening at about 15 teravolts across five cosmic-ray species, confirming a rigidity-dependent acceleration framework (the Peters cycle) and ruling out mass-dependent models with over 99.999% confidence, suggesting a nearby Galactic source as the accelerator.

via Space Daily|

#cosmic-rays #dampe #peters-cycle

science1 month ago•5 min saved

DAMPE Uncovers Universal Pattern in Cosmic Rays, Bolstering Rigidity Theory

New analysis of DAMPE data finds a universal spectral softening around 15 TeV across multiple high-energy cosmic-ray nuclei, suggesting rigidity—not energy per nucleon—shapes cosmic-ray behavior and tightening constraints on acceleration models; the result, published in Nature, was aided by AI-based event reconstruction and DAMPE’s Silicon-Tungsten Tracker.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#cosmic-rays #dampe #high-energy-astrophysics

space1 month ago•75 min saved

Ultraheavy nuclei may power the universe's fastest cosmic rays, study says

New simulations suggest ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays hitting Earth could be atomic nuclei heavier than iron, which lose energy more slowly over cosmic distances; events like neutron-star mergers or massive star collapses into black holes may accelerate these ultraheavy nuclei, reshaping how scientists search for their sources and understand cosmic-ray acceleration.

via Space|

#cosmic-rays #gamma-ray-bursts #heavy-nuclei

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Cosmic Rays Point to a Universal Acceleration Rule Across Elements

A DAMPE study finds a consistent spectral softening in primary cosmic ray nuclei—from protons to iron—occurring around a rigidity of ~15 TV, implying that acceleration and propagation depend on rigidity rather than energy per nucleon; the result, published in Nature, challenges alternative models with 99.999% confidence and narrows the questions about where cosmic rays originate, aided by UNIGE researchers’ AI-based event reconstruction and the DAMPE Silicon-Tungsten Tracker for precise measurements.

via SciTechDaily|

#cosmic-rays #dampe #high-energy-astrophysics

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Antarctic Ice Detects 13 Cosmic-Ray Radio Pulses, Validating Askaryan Radiation

Researchers buried antennas in Antarctic ice and identified 13 radio pulses from cosmic-ray cascades. New simulations applied to the 2019 data show the signals match the predicted Askaryan radiation in arrival direction, frequency, waveform and polarization at 5.1 sigma, confirming the model and distinguishing them from neutrinos. A full multi-year data release from all five ARA stations is expected soon, with up to seven candidate neutrino events.

via Boing Boing|

#antarctic-ice #ara #askaryan-radiation

space3 months ago•98 min saved

Cosmic-ray “cavity” between Earth and Moon could reshape lunar missions

A study using data from China’s Chang’e-4 lander identifies a region of reduced galactic cosmic-ray radiation in Earth–Moon space—a cavity that appears during the Moon’s local morning. The lower-energy protons drop by about 20% in this window, likely caused by Earth’s magnetosphere extending farther than previously thought. If confirmed, this timing could help plan safer lunar surface operations for upcoming missions (including Artemis II) by reducing astronauts’ radiation exposure. The findings are published in Science Advances (2026).

via Live Science|

#cosmic-rays #lunar-exploration #radiation-safety

science3 months ago•3 min saved

Earth's Hidden Magnetic Cavity Shields Moon From Cosmic Rays

A Science Advances study using Chang’e-4 data and NASA’s LRO observations finds that Earth’s magnetosphere forms an extended “cavity” that provides extra shielding for the Moon, reducing lunar surface radiation by about 20% during certain orbital phases—specifically in a pre-noon geometry—even when the Moon is outside the magnetosphere. The effect, mainly affecting low-energy ions that contribute to skin dose, was observed across 31 lunar cycles and could inform radiation protection for future missions, such as Artemis.

via Gizmodo|

#change-4 #cosmic-rays #magnetosphere

astronomy4 months ago•7 min saved

JWST Discovers Hidden Galactic Cores as Cosmic Organic Molecule Factories

JWST spectroscopic data of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy IRAS 07251-0248 reveal a rich mix of small organic molecules (benzene, methane, acetylene, diacetylene, triacetylene) and solid carbon-rich grains in its buried nucleus, along with the first outside-the Milky Way detection of the methyl radical CH3. The chemistry appears driven by cosmic rays fragmenting carbonaceous materials and PAHs, producing a diverse organic inventory far exceeding models’ predictions. This implies deeply obscured galactic nuclei can act as factories of organic molecules, with potential implications for prebiotic chemistry and galactic chemical evolution. Findings published in Nature Astronomy showcase JWST’s power to probe extreme, dust-shrouded environments.

via SciTechDaily|

#astrochemistry #astronomy #cosmic-rays

astronomy5 months ago•5 min saved

JWST Detects Rich Organic Chemistry in a Distant Galaxy

The James Webb Space Telescope unveils a surprisingly rich set of organic molecules in IRAS 07251–0248, an ultra-luminous infrared galaxy about 10+ billion light-years away. Detected molecules include methane, acetylene, benzene, and the methyl radical, indicating a complex chemical network far exceeding current models and potentially driven by cosmic rays that fragment larger carbon-rich grains into smaller organics. This suggests distant galactic nuclei can be ongoing sources of carbon for prebiotic chemistry, offering new insights into the origins of life and showcasing JWST’s power to study chemical evolution in the early universe.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#astrobiology #astronomy #cosmic-rays

science5 months ago•4 min saved

Earth's Ancient Magnetic Flip Reimagined as Haunting Audio

Scientists used ESA’s Swarm satellite data to turn the 41,000-year-old Laschamps magnetic reversal into an eerie audio track, illustrating a dramatic field flip when the magnetosphere weakened by roughly 5–25% of its current strength over about 250 years and remained abnormally oriented for around 440 years. The event increased cosmic-ray exposure, leaving isotopic fingerprints like higher beryllium-10 and potentially impacting climate and megafauna; ongoing Swarm measurements aim to better predict future geomagnetic fluctuations.

via ScienceAlert|

#cosmic-rays #geomagnetism #laschamps-event

science6 months ago•7 min saved

Scientists Race to Uncover Dark Matter's Hidden Nature

Scientists are exploring the nature of dark matter, which makes up about 85% of the universe's matter, by studying galaxy clusters with NASA's XRISM telescope. They are particularly interested in detecting signals from hypothetical particles called sterile neutrinos, which could decay and produce observable X-ray emissions, potentially revealing the particles that constitute dark matter.

via Space|

#cosmic-rays #dark-matter #galaxy-clusters

science6 months ago•5 min saved

Enhancing Cosmic Ray Shielding for Mars Missions

Cosmic rays pose a significant challenge for human space travel beyond Earth, especially to Mars, due to their damaging effects on living organisms and equipment. Current physical shields are insufficient against high-energy cosmic rays, prompting research into biological protection methods such as antioxidants, hibernation-like states, and leveraging organisms like tardigrades. Advances in simulation and accelerator technology, along with increased research investment, are crucial for developing effective protection strategies to enable safe long-duration space missions.

via Space|

#biological-strategies #cosmic-rays #mars