An extremely high-energy particle is detected coming from an apparently empty region of space::Amaterasu particle, one of highest-energy cosmic rays ever detected, is coming from an apparently empty region of space

  • Supervisor194@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    equivalent to the energy of a golf ball travelling at 95mph

    So I am curious about this comparison. If this particle had hit you square on the top of your head, rather than the array they built to detect it… would you even know it? Would it kill you? Make you uncomfortable? What?

      • BluesF@feddit.uk
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        1 year ago

        And his face half stopped aging! Wild story, always love being reminded of this guy.

    • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It’d obliterate what ever particle(s) were unfortunate enough to be in the way. They’d turn in to a shower of other particles, like sticking your head in a particle acelerator, but all at once.

      It’s highly unlikely all of the energy would go in to you, so it’d amount to a narrow beam of ionizing radiation. Potentially deadly, potentially not. A guy did get his head in a particle acelerator beam when he thought it was turned off. Saw a really bright flash and all. It kinda’ messed up that narrow channel of flesh and he has some cignitive issues as a result.