![]() They might collide with the particles in our atmosphere. For example, they might collide with particles that make up spacecraft or the International Space Station. Sometimes, primary cosmic rays collide with other particles. When primary cosmic ray particles enter the atmosphere they can become a variety of secondary cosmic ray particles (© 2019 Let’s Talk Science) What are secondary cosmic rays? They can break the strands of DNA molecules, damage genes and kill cells. These particles can penetrate through thick layers of shielding and body tissue. HZE ions are especially dangerous due to their high charges and high energies. That means they are directly exposed to cosmic rays. And as astronauts travel away from Earth, they are no longer protected. In the future, astronauts may travel to Mars or asteroids. But in the past, astronauts have travelled to the Moon. To some degree, astronauts and machines are also protected by these things in low-Earth orbit. On Earth,we are protected from primary cosmic rays by Earth's magnetosphere (magnetic field) and atmosphere. That’s because cosmic ray particles travel at high speeds and have high energy. As these particles continue to accelerate, some can travel close to the speed of light.Ĭosmic ray particles are very dangerous to people and machines. Eventually, some gain enough energy to become cosmic rays and escape into the galaxy. GCRs tend to bounce around in the magnetic field. Galactic cosmic rays begin as particles propelled out of the expanding cloud of gases and magnetic field. Particles from outside of our solar system are called Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs). Particles can also come from stellar explosions such as novas and supernovas, which are mostly from within our galaxy.īut they can also come from other galaxies as well. ![]() The particles emitted from the sun are often referred to as solar energetic particles. For example, they might come from solar flares or from explosions on the Sun. Primary cosmic rays come from a variety of sources. These high-mass, high-charged particles are known as HZE ions. The nuclei of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, but lighter than iron, make up the remaining cosmic rays. Many others are helium nuclei (similar to alpha particles). The majority of the nuclei are protons (hydrogen nuclei). The rest are free electrons, similar to beta particles. Primary cosmic rays particles can come from a variety of sources, including supernovas (© 2019 Let’s Talk Science) What are primary cosmic rays?Ībout 99% of all primary cosmic ray particles are the nuclei of atoms. Open Professional Learning × Close Professional Learning Open Educational Resources × Close Educational Resources
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