Today, on 26 November 2024, the annual International Cosmic Day (ICD) will take place. This day is dedicated to the unnoticed cosmic particles that flood our universe and constantly surround us on Earth.

"I am delighted to see how this day has evolved into a vibrant international network of young researchers over the years," says Christian Stegmann., DESY Director of Astroparticle Physics. “In 2024, for the 13th time, DESY is proud to coordinate this event, which brings young people together from around the globe to experience how science works.”

The International Cosmic Day brings together 100 groups at schools, universities, and research institutions across 24 countries to inspire students to learn about cosmic particles, conduct experiments, and exchange their findings in 14 global video conferences. Guided by scientists and teachers, participants will step into the shoes of researchers for a day, gaining first-hand experience of how science works.

The young people will explore fascinating questions in astroparticle physics, measure cosmic muons, and document their results in a collaborative publication. This process illustrates the power of international cooperation and how science transcends borders, languages, and cultures to unite people in the pursuit of knowledge.

For those unable to participate in experiments at local venues, there are still opportunities to get involved. The Cosmic@Web platform, developed by DESY for school projects, provides access to data from long-term experiments and includes tools for analysis. This resource enables students to collaborate remotely, just like scientists do. "We are delighted that Cosmic@Web allows young people worldwide to experience real scientific research, just like our colleagues at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory or the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO)," says Carolin Gnebner, scientific coordinator for DESY's astroparticle youth projects in Zeuthen.

The International Cosmic Day is an initiative of DESY in cooperation with the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG) and many national networks and partners. DESY in Zeuthen is initiating and coordinating the ICD for the 13th time with a team of scientists, students and event experts.

This year, the ICD team at DESY in Zeuthen has once again prepared a variety of additional activities to encourage spontaneous participation. The program features an astroparticle physics quiz and interactive challenges, available at https://icd.desy.de/activities. Participants and followers can also join the event on social media using the hashtag #InternationalCosmicDay, where they are invited to take part in the drawing and selfie competitions.

More information:         https://icd.desy.de, http://globalcosmics.org,
                                                https://cosmic.desy.de/eng, http://cosmicatweb.desy.de

 

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