Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Ray 'Amaterasu Particle' Detected in Utah

The particle's energy level rivals the most energetic cosmic ray ever observed, challenging our understanding of cosmic phenomena and their origins.

An ultra-high-energy cosmic ray, named the 'Amaterasu particle', has been detected by the Telescope Array experiment in Utah, marking one of the highest energy levels ever observed for cosmic rays.
The energy of this subatomic particle is equivalent to dropping a brick on your toe from waist height, and is approximately one million times higher than what the most powerful human-made particle accelerators can produce.
The Amaterasu particle, detected on May 27, 2021, had an energy level of about 244 exa-electron volts, rivaling the single most energetic cosmic ray ever observed, the 'Oh-My-God' particle detected in 1991.
The exact origins of these high-energy particles remain unclear, with the biggest discovered so far appearing to originate from voids or empty space, where no violent celestial events have taken place.
Scientists hope that the detection of the Amaterasu particle will shed new light on the origins of extremely energetic cosmic rays and potentially reveal new patterns or sources.