Decades-Old Cosmic Ray Mystery Solved by Recent LHAASO Research
Sandeep K S
Nov 23
1 min read
"Micro-quasars in black hole systems are identified as the source of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, solving the 70-year-old mystery of the 'Cosmic Ray Knee' as detected by the LHAASO Observatory."
In visible light, it looks like a normal galaxy. In infrared, it reveals a monster. Meet Virgil, the galaxy that is rewriting black hole history.
Before JWST, astronomers believed galaxies grew first, nurturing small black holes that grew slowly over time.
Virgil breaks this rule. Its black hole is "Overmassive"—far larger than its host galaxy should be able to support. It's like finding a skyscraper engine inside a compact car.
JWST has found evidence of a thick atmosphere on the ultra-hot Super-Earth TOI-561 b, challenging the idea that such close-in worlds are barren rocks.
TOI-561 b is an "Ultra-Short Period" planet, orbiting its star in less than 11 hours. It is tidally locked, meaning one side faces the star forever.
Westerlund 1 is the biggest star cluster in our galaxy. New data reveals it acts as a colossal particle accelerator, blasting a hole through the Milky Way's disk.
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