# @universityofutah on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Kupo6Paq0
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/10116815-universityofutah-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/73844b4c4f.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-11-27T23:18:01.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** The University of Utah (@universityofutah) — https://gondola.cc/universityofutah

## Caption

In 1991, our Fly’s Eye experiment detected the highest-energy cosmic ray ever observed. Later dubbed the Oh-My-God particle, the cosmic ray’s energy shocked astrophysicists. Nothing in our galaxy had the power to produce it, and the particle had more energy than was theoretically possible for cosmic rays traveling to Earth from other galaxies. Simply put, the particle should not exist.

The Telescope Array has since observed more than 30 ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, though none approaching the Oh-My-God-level energy. No observations have yet revealed their origin or how they are able to travel to the Earth.

In an observation published last week in ScienceMagazine, the Telescope Array revealed the detection of the *second-highest* extreme-energy cosmic ray in 2021.

The energy of this single subatomic particle is equivalent to dropping a brick on your toe from waist height.

“The particles are so high energy, they shouldn’t be affected by galactic and extra-galactic magnetic fields. You should be able to point to where they come from in the sky. But in the case of the Oh-My-God particle and this new particle, you trace its trajectory to its source and there’s nothing high energy enough to have produced it. That’s the mystery of this—what the heck is going on?”

Coming from the Local Void, an empty area of space bordering the Milky Way galaxy, the event triggered 23 detectors at the north-west region of the Telescope Array, splashing across 18.5 sq. mi. 

Learn more about this cosmically mind-blowing discovery at the LINK in our bio 🌌
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#ImagineU #UofU

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uofu, imagineu

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