Description: This branch of astronomy is dedicated to studying sources of high energy charged particles in the Universe. This allows astronomers to study the properties of these sources, and various other associated aspects such as magnetic fields in the Universe. Cosmic rays can be observed using methods similar to those used in particle physics, or by looking for flashes of gamma rays that accompany high-speed charged particles moving through the atmosphere.

Related Terms:

• Active Galactic Nucleus
• Cosmic Ray
• Gamma Ray
• Nucleus
• Particle
• Particle Physics
• Proton
• Supernova

Term and definition status: This term and its definition have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher

The OAE Multilingual Glossary is a project of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) in collaboration with the IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (OAO). The terms and definitions were chosen, written and reviewed by a collective effort from the OAE, the OAE Centers and Nodes, the OAE National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs) and other volunteers. You can find a full list of credits here. All glossary terms and their definitions are released under a Creative Commons CC BY-4.0 license and should be credited to "IAU OAE".