In the s, the French physicist Pierre Auger placed Geiger counters along a ridge in the Alps and observed that they would sometimes spontaneously click at the same time, even when they were up to meters apart. He knew that the coincident clicks came from cosmic rays, charged particles from space that bang into air molecules in the sky, triggering particle showers that rain down to the ground.
Upon constructing larger arrays of Geiger counters and other kinds of detectors, physicists learned that cosmic rays reach energies at least , times higher than Auger supposed. A cosmic ray is just an atomic nucleus — a proton or a cluster of protons and neutrons. Supernova explosions are now thought to be capable of producing the astonishingly energetic cosmic rays that Auger first observed 82 years ago.
The origins of these ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays remain uncertain. But a series of recent advances has significantly narrowed the search. In , the Auger Observatory announced a major discovery. With its 1, particle detectors and 27 telescopes dotting a patch of Argentinian prairie the size of Rhode Island, the observatory had recorded the air showers of hundreds of thousands of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays over the previous 13 years. The Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina consists of an array of 1, detectors such as these.
When a cosmic ray strikes the sky, a shower of secondary charged particles rains down. These particles create flashes of radiation as they traverse the water inside the detectors, collectively revealing the energy and direction of the incoming cosmic ray. Recently, three theorists at New York University offered an elegant explanation for the imbalance that experts see as highly convincing.
Certain candidate objects sit at the right locations. More clues have arrived in the form of super-energetic neutrinos, which are produced by ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays. These speculations are brand new and unconstrained by any data. Identifying any pattern in their arrival directions requires teasing out subtle statistical imbalances from a huge data set.
No one knew how much data would be needed before patterns would emerge. Physicists spent decades building ever-larger arrays of detectors without seeing even a hint of a pattern. Then in the early s, the Scottish astrophysicist Alan Watson and the American physicist Jim Cronin decided to go really big.
They embarked on what would become the 3,square-kilometer Auger Observatory. Finally, that was enough. But the data was also puzzling. The direction of the cosmic-ray excess was nowhere near the center of the Milky Way galaxy, supporting the long-standing hypothesis that ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays come from outside the galaxy.
But it was nowhere near anything. It was just a dull, dark spot near the constellation Canis Major. She began by making a simplification: that every bit of matter in the universe has equal probability of producing some small number of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays. She then mapped out how those cosmic rays would bend slightly as they emanate from nearby galaxies, galaxy groups and clusters — collectively known as the large-scale structure of the cosmos — and travel here through the weak magnetic fields of intergalactic space.
Naturally, her pretend map was just a blurry picture of the large-scale structure itself, with the highest concentration of cosmic rays coming from Virgo. They ascertained that magnetic field lines arc both clockwise and counterclockwise along the spiral arms of the galaxy and emanate vertically from the galactic disk, twisting as they rise.
Our galaxy sits amid enormous structures in the nearby universe. How are children assigned AR reading levels? What are AR reading levels? Who participates in AR? Where do children take the AR quizzes? Children take the quizzes at school. The library does not provide testing. What is the color chart? I have a list of AR books my child wants to read. How do I find them at the public library? The characters themselves were all likeable enough except for the antagonist, of course.
I particularly loved Mesmo and his budding relationship with protagonist Ben. Most recommended! Absolutely loved it. First of, This book had a great deal of suspense in it,and it kept me eager to know what's gonna happen next. Its a mix of suspense, mystery and science fiction,my favorite genres! So overall I would give it a 5 star rating.
Can't wait to read the next book in this series!! Apr 20, Belles Middle Grade Library rated it it was amazing. Wow wow wow! This was phenomenal! Nerve wracking, edge of my seat, action packed phenomenal!
Plus, Ben discovers he has been entrusted with an alien power. The Wow wow wow! The writing is superb! The characters are absolutely amazing. It would be such an epic movie! Shelves: scifi , series , ebook. It's a rarity that I've enjoyed a book as much as I enjoyed reading this one. Great characterization. The author's writing style allowed me to enter the lives of the people.
At times I wanted to scream, cry and laugh! You can't go wrong with this book. I know that it's classified as a YA novel, but it's a book to be loved no matter your age. I was so impressed that I can insure you that the second novel will be even better than the first book! I really enjoyed this book and I almost read it in one sitting. The characters were adorable ofc not them who were meant to be terrible, they were indeed terrible , and I loved the main character Ben.
He is such a brave boy with a good heart, who will do everything for those he loves. His relationship with the grandpa was so real and honest. The storyline was entertaining and had a lot of action which I really liked it. An interesting thing about the storyline was the alien part. The 3. On the negative side I got a little distracted by some spelling errors and doubtful word choices. But nothing more than that. The entire Ben Archer series is absolutely fantastic!
The author, Rae Knightly, is a warm, kind and passionate soul. I wholeheartedly recommend the series, starting with Cosmic Fall! Thank you Rae! I rate this a 3. The premise is good and Ben is turning out to be a good protagonist. Plus, I love his animal companion, Tike! This isn't something I read in most of the Middle Grade books I've read. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something different. Hopefully I get the second book to find out how Ben handles the I rate this a 3.
I'm an adult, but I still have a fondness in my heart for young adult literature - some of my all time favorite stories fall into that category. I was not disappointed when I read this. I am not the type of reviewer who tells you all about the story and the plot so if that is what you are looking for, you may as well move on to another review.
What I will tell you is that the story flows well - the action is not too fast, nor is it too slow. The author gives just enough information to allow you t I'm an adult, but I still have a fondness in my heart for young adult literature - some of my all time favorite stories fall into that category.
The author gives just enough information to allow you to build a picture in your mind without forcing you to see a specific thing. The plot unfolds in such a way that I found myself wondering what was going to happen next but not feeling like it was too drawn out. The characters were well thought out and engaging.
The author managed to bring mystery, suspense and danger into the story without a lot of actual violence which I really appreciated. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading Book 2 especially since I feel like there's something more about Tike that we may not know and I want to see if I'm right.
This middle grade adventure involves secret aliens, government cover ups, and cosmic superpowers, which all make for an enticing recipe. His grandfather seems to have disappeared, and only when a heart attack lands the older man in hospital do Ben and h This middle grade adventure involves secret aliens, government cover ups, and cosmic superpowers, which all make for an enticing recipe. His grandfather seems to have disappeared, and only when a heart attack lands the older man in hospital do Ben and his mother reunite with him.
Note: some spoilers follow. Being a Vancouver native, it was fun to read a story set here. This book has a nice pace, and keeps a good sense of mystery throughout. This results in the final act feeling a little long. A few more hints as to the bigger picture could have added stronger framework, tension, and stakes. A great young adult story! Wow, this was a great story!
I admit I was in a huge book slump before I got my hands on this one. In all honesty this book, with a well written query letter and a knowledgeable agent, could easily be pitched to Harper Collins.
The one and only downfall I see is that this book is in need of serious editing. The story is phenomenal and the writing is fabulous, but man oh man the typos. I hate to see an amazing read suffer from poor editing. I seriously urge the author to hire an editor spend the money.
You get what you pay for, trust me. Seriously, this story has potential. Maybe even movie potential. This is a charming children's fantasy story which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The characters are appealing, and the gradual build-up to the discovery that Ben has an alien power is well handled. Thereafter we have some fast-moving adventure sequences as he and his mum have to keep one jump ahead of the bad guys—and discover who might be the good guys.
The ending was a little sudden, not in the cliff-hanger sense, but because the story just stopped. However, it certainly left you wondering what would h This is a charming children's fantasy story which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, it certainly left you wondering what would happen next! There were great descriptions of majestic scenery around Vancouver and elsewhere. On the negative side, there were some spelling errors and doubtful word-choices scattered through the book; and one situation where an eagerly anticipated dramatic conclusion to an adventure sequence was relegated to a casual flashback.
But those were minor drawbacks. I have no hesitation in thoroughly recommending this book for its intended age-group. Mar 29, D. Entices one to read it. I enjoyed this book. Love that there is a Canadian element, mainly the West Coast setting, which was well-used and integrated seamlessly with the events.
Likeable main character and a plot that moves steadily and which kept my interest. The characters are believable-the family and their interactions are natural and feel real. If you like stories about aliens on the loose, with otherwise ordinary people mixed up in a larger government conspiracy, this book is for you! Middle grade readers and up would enjoy it. I think this is a good book for the pre-adolescent reader.
There is a boy and his dog, aliens, cruel grownups and the cosmic struggle of good against evil. The hero of this story seems to be believable as a boy who is struggling to make sense of the world today. The author should try to make the different elements of the story flow together better than they do. It almost seems like there were different modules in this story that were snapped together. It was a little distracting wh I think this is a good book for the pre-adolescent reader.
It was a little distracting when the wrong form of a word was used, or when something was misspelled. This is not fatal, just distracting.
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