Neutrino observatory

If you ever find yourself hiking Mount Ikeno while in the city of Hida, Japan, just know that under your feet lies the Super-kamiokande.

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This neutrino observatory began running experiments in April of 1996, studying solar and atmospheric neutrinos as well as searching for proton decay and supernovae in our galaxy. 

Located in the Mozumi mine, 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) below the surface, this stainless steel tank holds 50,000 tons of ultra pure water and 11,146 photomultiplier tubes. How does it work? Electrons in the water interact with neutrinos, creating a charged particle. This zooming particle emits Cherenkov radiation and light, which is projected onto the photomultiplier tubes and recorded. These neutrinos can come from all sorts of places, including the atmosphere, supernovae, and even our sun! Photo cred: Particle Physics Research Centre

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