Sunday Science: Cosmic rays

Cosmic rays.  Where would the Fantastic Four be without them?

So what is the real deal with cosmic rays?
Cosmic rays are super tiny particles that slam into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Billions of rays every second!  
But most of these are very low level impacts.

Most of these rays come from inside our galaxy, from events such as supernovae, black holes and neutron stars.
These rays are able to travel great distances at fantastic speeds due to the low density of matter in space.
Cosmic rays are one of the limiting factors in space travel and colonization of other planets, as we would need a strong way to shield ourselves from these particles.

Jerry Coffey has written an article on cosmic rays over at UniverseToday.com.
As always, go read and learn about these particles and what part they play in our everyday lives.

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