Search results
- When struck by cosmic rays, chemical elements in soils and rocks emit uniquely identifiable signatures of energy in the form of gamma rays. These data can help scientists look for geologically important elements such as hydrogen, magnesium, silicon, oxygen, iron, titanium, sodium, and calcium.
science.nasa.gov/ems/12_gammarays
Our Sun is a rather obvious source of visible light. But it also glows in radio waves, infrared, ultraviolet light and X-rays. Some objects emit only radio waves or only X-rays. This is why it is important to study the Universe with various kinds of space observatories.
- Artist's Impression of a Gamma-Ray Burst
The spacecraft has also confirmed the existence of a new...
- The Electromagnetic SPECTRUM
Gamma rays (wavelengths less than 0.01 nanometres) Gamma...
- Merging Black Holes
Artist's impression of two black holes as they spiral...
- Supernova Explosion
The Integral measurements suggest that a belt of gas from...
- Artist's Impression of a Gamma-Ray Burst
Aug 10, 2016 · Gamma-ray bursts are the most energetic and luminous electromagnetic events since the Big Bang and can release more energy in 10 seconds than our Sun will emit in its entire 10-billion-year expected lifetime! Gamma-ray astronomy presents unique opportunities to explore these exotic objects.
Gamma rays have enough energy to cause damage to living tissue, but almost all cosmic gamma rays get blocked by Earth’s atmosphere. They are highly penetrating and interacts with matter through ionization via three processes: photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, or pair production.
Dec 28, 2022 · On Earth, gamma rays are produced by radioactive decay, nuclear weapons and lightning, while in space they are produced by violent, high-energy sources such as solar flares, quasars, black holes...
Nov 3, 2024 · A gamma ray is electromagnetic radiation of the shortest wavelength and highest energy. Gamma-ray radiation has wavelengths generally smaller than a few tenths of an angstrom (10 meter), and gamma-ray photons have energies greater than tens of thousands of electron volts.
Natural sources of gamma rays originating on Earth are mostly a result of radioactive decay and secondary radiation from atmospheric interactions with cosmic ray particles. However, there are other rare natural sources, such as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, which produce gamma rays from electron action upon the nucleus.
People also ask
Why is gamma ray astronomy important?
Why do we have a gamma ray background?
What if we could see gamma rays?
How gamma rays are produced on Earth?
What do gamma rays tell us about the universe?
How do gamma rays work?
Apr 12, 2019 · What can gamma rays tell us about the cosmos? Gamma-rays are the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, with over 10,000 times more energy than visible light photons. If you could see gamma-rays, the night sky would look strange and unfamiliar.