Extensive Air Showers

Extensive Air Showers are large cascades of secondary particles created when high-energy cosmic rays—particles from space—hit the Earth's atmosphere. This collision causes a chain reaction, producing millions of particles such as electrons, photons, and muons that spread out and travel toward the ground. These showers can span vast areas and help scientists study cosmic rays’ origins and properties. By analyzing the particles and their energy, researchers learn about the most energetic phenomena in the universe, like supernovae or black holes, even though these cosmic rays originate far beyond our planet.