Scientists detect record-breaking neutrino from deep space off Sicily

On February 13, 2023, an undersea telescope off Sicily detected a neutrino with an energy of 220 petaelectronvolts, breaking the previous record of 10 petaelectronvolts. This discovery marks a significant increase in the energy levels of detected neutrinos. The neutrino's source is still uncertain. Researchers considered several possibilities, including active supermassive black holes, particularly blazars, and cosmogenic neutrino production from cosmic rays interacting with background radiation from the Big Bang. The detection involved a large array of light-sensitive detectors in the Mediterranean Sea, which captured over 28,000 photons from the neutrino's interactions. Further investigations are needed to determine the exact origin of this unprecedented neutrino event.