Here's a cool piece of technology, a cosmic ray detector you can build yourself.
It detects muons.
Something interesting, is that space is full of cosmic rays. Many of them are actually high energy protons, but they get absorbed in the atmosphere. The "interstellar medium" is mostly hydrogen and helium atoms, with a little bit of "cosmic dust" containing the heavier particles. In addition there are X-rays, gamma rays, and magnetic fields. Here is a summary:
www.sciencealert.com
The part we can detect is the part that makes it through the atmosphere. We can't detect neutrinos very easily, they're too small and too weird. But we can detect muons.
Robert Harts' Clever Kit Brings the Joy of Cosmic Ray Detection to All
Whether it's for art, science, or just curiosity, this kit will get you finding hot muons near you in no time.
www.hackster.io
It detects muons.
Something interesting, is that space is full of cosmic rays. Many of them are actually high energy protons, but they get absorbed in the atmosphere. The "interstellar medium" is mostly hydrogen and helium atoms, with a little bit of "cosmic dust" containing the heavier particles. In addition there are X-rays, gamma rays, and magnetic fields. Here is a summary:
An Astrophysicist Reveals What Space Is Actually Made of
What comes to mind when you think of space? Imagine a friend boasting about a spacious building, stadium or museum they recently visited.
www.sciencealert.com
The part we can detect is the part that makes it through the atmosphere. We can't detect neutrinos very easily, they're too small and too weird. But we can detect muons.
