By: Michael D. Lemonick
For so many years astronomers have been trying to detect infrared light, ultraviolet light, and gamma rays. (Lemonick) "They've seen bursts of energy from black holes halfway across the universe, blips of radio noise from neutron starts spinning at hundreds of revolutions per second, and even the faint glow of microwaves emitted more than 13 billion years ago, in the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang itself". (Lemonick 1). What these scientists are ultimately trying to look more into are neutrinos. This is a very difficult process because neutrinos are particles that move so rapidly. They usually are traveling throughout the universe in packs, passing through our bodies.
In order to help to see these amazing neutrinos, a neutrino telescope was developed by many scientists from twelve different countries. (Lemonick) This powerful telescope is called the IceCube which is set at the South Pole. By using the IceCube, scientists have discovered 28 neutrinos. Even though that this IceCube was successful, it was not the first telescope created. There was another nuclear reactor throughout the 1950's, where neutrinos were detected. "But IceCube puts those earlier efforts to shame. It's made up of more than 5,000 individual detectors, strung on 86 cables and sunk up to 1.5 miles into the East Antarctic Ice Sheet". (Lemonick 1). Even though scientists say that they have seen the neutrinos, really they have seen a blue light called Cherenkov radiation. When looking at the intensity and the direction of this blue light, scientists are able to look at the energy level for intensity and the flight path for the direction. Out of the hundred thousand neutrinos detected throughout the first two years, only 28 were extragalactic. This number was around what people were saying was going to be. Overall, the IceCube is a successful new addition of helping us discover more neutrinos. (Lemonick)
http://science.time.com/2013/11/21/visitors-from-beyond-the-galaxy-reach-the-antarctic/
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