NASA’s Juno Reveals New Insights into Cosmic Ray Origins

An artist's concept shows a planet at the top center with a blue band arcing around it in a horseshoe shape. The blue band is labeled the magnetosheath. The inner part of this blue band, closest to the planet, is labeled the magnetopause. The outer edge of the blue band is labeled the bow shock. Just outside the blue band, to the lower left of it, is a purple wedge-shaped area labeled the foreshock. On the far left is a red shaded area with red arrows pointing from left to right, appearing to push against the magnetosheath (blue region) and foreshock (purple) region, labeled the stellar wind.

Particles traveling close to the speed of light near Jupiter were captured by NASA’s Juno mission, providing new evidence for how and where high-energy particles, including cosmic rays, form. Astronomers have sought the origins of cosmic rays since their discovery more than 100 years ago. These energetic particles can come from many sources, including supernovas … Continue reading NASA’s Juno Reveals New Insights into Cosmic Ray Origins