Chinese observatory finds most powerful particle accelerator in the universe

A China-led team has detected the highest-energy light particle ever recorded, showing that the universe can accelerate matter to 30 times the previously predicted limit. The particle was born in a violent binary system – known as Cygnus X-3 – in the constellation Cygnus. That process involves a dead star stripping material from a massive companion and shooting powerful jets into space. After travelling for nearly 30,000 years, the particle reached Earth in March 2024, where it was captured…