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A BIT OF A BOOST GJ A cosmic ray with 240 quintillion electron volts has struck Earth, originating from a complete void in space. A mysterious cosmic particle later named "Amaterasu" slammed into Earth's atmosphere with a staggering 240 quintillion electron volts of energy. Detected by the Telescope Array in Utah, this ultra-high-energy cosmic ray is the second most powerful ever recorded, trailing only the legendary "Oh-My-God" particle of 1991. The sheer intensity of this event is difficult to comprehend, representing millions of times more energy than the most advanced man-made accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider, can currently produce. The origin of the Amaterasu particle remains a profound enigma that challenges the foundations of modern physics. Unlike typical cosmic rays, particles of this magnitude should travel in nearly straight lines, allowing scientists to trace them back to their source. However, when researchers mapped the particle's trajectory, they found only a vast cosmic void rather than a high-energy environment like a black hole or supernova. This discovery suggests the existence of unknown cosmic phenomena or perhaps even defects in the fabric of spacetime, hinting that our current understanding of the universe is incomplete. Source: Telescope Array Collaboration. Observation of an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray with a large zenith angle by the Telescope Array experiment. Science. #cosmicrays #earth