Thursday, July 12, 2018

Astronomers trace the source of a high-energy particle that slammed into Earth

<em>A rendering of the IceCube Observatory in Antarctica detecting neutrinos.</em>

Astronomers may have discovered the deep-space origin of a mysterious high-energy particle that plunged straight through Earth last year. The tiny particle, known as a neutrino, seems to have come from a hyperactive black hole located 4 billion light-years away. It’s the first time researchers have pinpointed the possible origin for one of these high-energy neutrinos, bringing scientists closer to figuring out the objects that produce these strange lightweight particles that fill the Universe.

In September, researchers working near the South Pole detected the presence of a super high-energy neutrino in the Antarctic ice. These fast-moving particles often zip right through objects like our planet without ever leaving a trace that they...

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