cosmic rays
What is Carbon Dating?
Radiocarbon dating (aka. carbon dating) measures the half-life of carbon-14, which occurs naturally in our atmosphere, to determine the age…
What Causes the Northern Lights?
Have you ever seen the beautiful auroral displays in the high latitudes? These are the Northern and Southern Lights. But…
How to Turn Your Phone Into A Cosmic Ray Detector
Quick, do you have an Android phone in your pocket? A few small changes and you could help physicists probe…
Something In Big Dipper ‘Blob’ Is Sending Out Cosmic Rays, Study Says
Behind the Big Dipper is something pumping out a lot of extremely high-energy cosmic rays, a new study says. And…
Astronomy Cast Ep. 343: The Universe is Trying To Kill You!
We always say that the Universe is trying to kill you. But seriously... it wants you dead. The Bad Astronomer…
Plastic Protection Against Cosmic Rays?
It could work, say researchers from the University of New Hampshire and the Southwest Research Institute. One of the inherent dangers…
NASA’s Particle-Hunting ISS-CREAM Will Be Anything But Vanilla
Balloon-based research on cosmic particles that began over a century ago will get a big boost next year -- all…
Curiosity Rover Recovering From Computer Glitch
The Curiosity rover is now out of "safe mode" following a memory problem with its main computer, and the Mars…
Super Good at Collecting Data, Massive Science Balloon Breaks Records
Super-TIGER prepares for launch from Antarctica. NASA's Super-TIGER science balloon landed Friday at a frigid and remote base in Antarctica…
New Study Shows Cosmic Rays Could Cause Alzheimer’s
Humans explore Mars in "Distant Shores," an illustration by NASA artist Pat Rawlins Cosmic rays from deep space could pose…