Victor Hess

Victor Hess was an Austrian physicist best known for his discovery of cosmic rays in the early 20th century. In 1912, he conducted balloon experiments at high altitudes, revealing that radiation levels increased significantly, indicating that this radiation originated outside the Earth's atmosphere. This groundbreaking work contributed to our understanding of cosmic rays—high-energy particles from space that can have various sources, including the sun and distant stars. His research earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1936, highlighting his important role in advancing the fields of astrophysics and particle physics.