12 March 2021, 10:42 am EST By
Researchers involved in the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory were in for a surprise after the discovery that the cosmic rays bouncing towards Earth do not originate from a supernova.
The observatory, based in Puebla, Mexico, uses huge metallic tanks containing water in the process.
The Contribution of the HAWC Observatory
The common notion in science is that cosmic rays came from supernovas. They are the fast-moving, high-energy protons and atomic nuclei that travel to Earth. The solar system housed them through millions of galaxies in outer space.
It is believed that rays come from stars that form a supernova. The latter takes place when the stars expand to the point where they would explode. This is because they could not hold any more of their cores for support, Independent reported.