A group of scientists has for the first time located a source of high-energy neutrinos. Neutrinos are elementary particles that can travel billions of light years across the universe and can pass through stars, planets, and galaxies without being affected. The search for the location of a single neutrino began when it was recorded by the IceCube neutrino telescope at the South Pole.
That detection was made on September 22, 2017, and using telescopes on Earth and in space, the scientists were able to determine that the particle had originated in a galaxy that is nearly four billion light years from Earth in the Orion constellation. In that galaxy resides a gigantic black hole that is a natural particle accelerator.
The team says that this observation campaign is a step in solving something scientists have puzzled over for decades- the origins of cosmic rays. A cosmic ray is a high-energy subatomic particle that constantly bombards the atmosphere of our planet. Scientists believe that neutrinos are created as a by-product of cosmic rays.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
