WATCH: A Real Cosmic Ray Gun

I'm sorry, a cosmic what now?

A new study using data from NASA's NuSTAR space telescope suggests that the most luminous and massive stellar system within 10,000 light-years, Eta Carinae, is accelerating particles to high energies -- some of which may reach Earth as cosmic rays.

Eta Carinae, located about 7,500 light-years away in the southern constellation of Carina, contains a pair of massive stars whose eccentric orbits bring them unusually close every 5.5 years. Both stars drive powerful outflows called stellar winds, which emit low-energy X-rays where they collide. (via NASA)

A new study using data from NASA's NuSTAR space telescope suggests that the most luminous and massive stellar system within 10,000 light-years, Eta Carinae, is accelerating particles to high energies -- some of which may reach Earth as cosmic rays. https://go.nasa.gov/2tPxKpA Cosmic rays with energies greater than 1 billion electron volts (eV) come to us from beyond our solar system.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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