cosmic ray
noun
: a stream of atomic nuclei of extremely penetrating character that enter the earth's atmosphere from outer space at speeds approaching that of light
Examples of cosmic ray in a Sentence
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That affords astronauts some protection from the Earth’s magnetosphere—which shields us from solar and cosmic rays on the ground.
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Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 15 May 2024
Geomagnetic storms trigger high amounts of cosmic rays in Earth's upper atmosphere, which in turn produce carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon.
—David Wallace, CBS News, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cosmic ray 
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 15 May 2024
Geomagnetic storms trigger high amounts of cosmic rays in Earth's upper atmosphere, which in turn produce carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon.
—David Wallace, CBS News, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cosmic ray
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cosmic ray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Cosmic ray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosmic%20ray. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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