Evidence for the Moon and Sun shadows with cosmic rays at an average energy of 7 × 10 17 eV
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Interactions of cosmic rays with the Moon and the Sun produce deficits in their arrival-direction distributions relative to an isotropic flux. Such shadows have been observed previously at energies between $10^{12}\,$eV and $10^{16}\,$eV. We report the first observation of the Moon and Sun shadows at cosmic-ray energies larger than about $10^{16}\,$eV (average energy of $7\times10^{17}\,$eV), using data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory. We employ data from three detector arrays covering $3000\,\text{km}^2$, $27\,\text{km}^2$, and $2\,\text{km}^2$, with spacings of $1500\,\text{m}$, $750\,\text{m}$, and $433\,\text{m}$, respectively. The data amount to over 10.6 million events. The Moon and Sun shadows are detected with a combined significance of approximately $3σ$. These observations confirm the pointing accuracy of the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory using celestial bodies. From the combined Sun and Moon shadows, we infer an overall angular resolution of $(0.59^{+0.15}_{-0.11})^\circ$.
DOI: 10.1103/qdw9-tbz2
Authors: A. Abdul Halim, P. Abreu, M. Aglietta, M. Ahmed, I. Allekotte, K. Almeida Cheminant, R. Aloisio, J. Alvarez-Muñiz, A. Ambrosone, J. Ammerman Yebra, L. Anchordoqui, B. Andrada, L. Andrade Dourado, L. Apollonio, C. Aramo, J. C. Arteaga Velázquez, P. Assis, G. Avila, E. Avocone, A. Bakalova, Y. Balibrea, A. Baluta, F. Barbato, A. Bartz Mocellin, O. Batalla Cruz, J. P. Behler, C. Berat, M. E. Bertaina, M. Bianciotto, P. L. Biermann, V. Binet, K. Bismark, T. Bister, J. Biteau, J. Blazek, J. Blümer, M. Boháčová, D. Boncioli, C. Bonifazi, N. Borodai, J. Brack, P. G. Brichetto Orquera, S. Buitink, A. Bwembya, T. R. Caba Pineda, K. S. Caballero-Mora, S. Cabana-Freire, L. Caccianiga, J. Caraça-Valente, R. Caruso, A. Castellina, F. Catalani, G. Cataldi, L. Cazon, M. Cerda, B. Čermáková, A. Cermenati, K. Cerny, J. A. Chinellato, J. Chudoba, L. Chytka, R. W. Clay, A. C. Cobos Cerutti, R. Colalillo, R. Conceição, G. Consolati, M. Conte, F. Convenga, D. Correia dos Santos, P. J. Costa, C. E. Covault, M. Cristinziani, C. S. Cruz Sanchez, S. Dasso, K. Daumiller, B. R. Dawson, R. M. de Almeida, E.-T. de Boone, B. de Errico, J. de Jesús, S. J. de Jong, J. R. T. de Mello Neto, I. De Mitri, D. de Oliveira Franco, F. de Palma, V. de Souza, E. De Vito, A. Del Popolo, O. Deligny, N. Denner, K. Denner Syrokvas, L. Deval, A. di Matteo, C. Dobrigkeit, J. C. D’Olivo, L. M. Domingues Mendes, T. Dominguez, Y. Dominguez Ballesteros, Q. Dorosti, R. C. dos Anjos, J. Ebr, F. Ellwanger, R. Engel, M. Erdmann, A. Etchegoyen, C. Evoli, H. Falcke, G. Farrar, A. C. Fauth, T. Fehler, F. Feldbusch, A. Fernandes, M. Fernández Alonso, B. Fick, J. M. Figueira, P. Filip, A. Filipčič, B. Flaggs, A. Franco, M. Freitas, T. Fujii, A. Fuster, C. Galea, B. García, C. Gaudu, P. L. Ghia, U. Giaccari, M. Giammarco, C. Glaser, F. Gobbi, F. Gollan, G. Golup, P. F. Gómez Vitale, J. P. Gongora, N. González, D. Góra, A. Gorgi, M. Gottowik, F. Guarino, G. P. Guedes, Y. C. Guerra, L. Gülzow, S. Hahn, P. Hamal, M. R. Hampel, P. Hansen, A. Haungs, M. Havelka, T. Hebbeker, C. Hojvat, J. R. Hörandel, M. Horvat, P. Horvath, M. Hrabovský, T. Huege, A. Insolia, P. G. Isar, M. Ismaiel, P. Janecek, V. Jilek, K.-H. Kampert, B. Keilhauer, V. V. Kizakke Covilakam, H. O. Klages, M. Kleifges, A. Klingel, J. Köhler, F. Krieger, M. Kubatova, N. Kunka, B. L. Lago, N. Langner, N. Leal, M. A. Leigui de Oliveira, Y. Lema-Capeans, A. Letessier-Selvon, I. Lhenry-Yvon, L. Lopes, M. Mallamaci, S. Mancuso, D. Mandat, P. Mantsch, A. G. Mariazzi, C. Marinelli, I. C. Mariş, G. Marsella, D. Martello, S. Martinelli, O. Martínez Bravo, A. Martínez-Mendez, M. A. Martins, H.-J. Mathes, J. Matthews, G. Matthiae, E. Mayotte, S. Mayotte, P. O. Mazur, G. Medina-Tanco, D. Melo, A. Menshikov, C. Merx, S. Michal, M. I. Micheletti, L. Miramonti, M. Mogarkar, S. Mollerach, F. Montanet, L. Morejon, K. Mulrey, R. Mussa, W. M. Namasaka, S. Negi, L. Nellen, K. Nguyen, G. Nicora, M. Niechciol, D. Nitz, D. Nosek, A. Novikov, V. Novotny, L. Nožka, A. Nucita, L. A. Núñez, S. E. Nuza, J. Ochoa, M. Olegario, C. Oliveira, L. Östman, M. Palatka, J. Pallotta, G. Parente, T. Paulsen, M. Pech, J. Pȩkala, R. Pelayo, C. Pérez Bertolli, L. Perrone, S. Petrera, T. Pierog, M. Pimenta, M. Platino, P. Privitera, C. Priyadarshi, M. Prouza, K. Pytel, S. Querchfeld, J. Rautenberg, D. Ravignani, J. V. Reginatto Akim, M. Z. Rennó, A. Reuzki, J. Ridky, F. Riehn, M. Risse, V. Rizi, B. Rocha Moldes, E. Rodriguez, G. Rodriguez Fernandez, J. Rodriguez Rojo, S. Rossoni, M. Roth, E. Roulet, A. C. Rovero, A. Saftoiu, M. Saharan, F. Salamida, H. Salazar, G. Salina, P. Sampathkumar, N. San Martin, J. D. Sanabria Gomez, F. Sánchez, F. M. Sánchez Rodriguez, E. Santos, F. Sarazin, R. Sarmento, R. Sato, P. Savina, V. Scherini, H. Schieler, M. Schimp, D. Schmidt, O. Scholten, H. Schoorlemmer, P. Schovánek, F. G. Schröder, J. Schulte, T. Schulz, S. J. Sciutto, M. Scornavacche, A. Sedoski, S. Sehgal, S. U. Shivashankara, G. Sigl, K. Simkova, F. Simon, R. Šmída, S. Soares Sippert, P. Sommers, S. Stanič, J. Stasielak, P. Stassi, S. Strähnz, M. Straub, T. Suomijärvi, A. D. Supanitsky, Z. Svozilikova, Z. Szadkowski, F. Tairli, A. Tapia, C. Taricco, C. Timmermans, O. Tkachenko, P. Tobiska, C. J. Todero Peixoto, B. Tomé, A. Travaini, P. Travnicek, C. Trimarelli, M. Tueros, M. Unger, R. Uzeiroska-Geyik, L. Vaclavek, M. Vacula, I. Vaiman, J. F. Valdés Galicia, L. Valore, P. van Dillen, E. Varela, V. Vašíčková, A. Vásquez-Ramírez, D. Veberič, I. D. Vergara Quispe, S. Verpoest, V. Verzi, J. Vicha, S. Vorobiov, J. B. Vuta, A. A. Watson, A. Weindl, M. Weitz, L. Wiencke, H. Wilczyński, B. Wundheiler, B. Yue, A. Yushkov, E. Zas, D. Zavrtanik, M. Zavrtanik
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grainger Foundation, Strong, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Xunta de Galicia, Vlaamse regering, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, Helmholtz Alliance for Astroparticle Physics, Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
Awards: G1086978037, G1105844351, Pierre Auger Project, G1151900320, G1175115578, G12500569, G1404832668, G1496055848, G1603472241, G1610934229, G1727275246, G176604203, G1840991089, G1935710221, G2159102689, G222768804, G2230854319, G2233490251, G2262748287, G2296507700, G2366462802, G24120701, G2601397997, G2677629327, G2678520069, G291036901, G294895050, G300979063, G3219270595, G3286760496, G3295960771, G3405914644, G3480869486, G3486424601, G3490171961, G3523651922, G3622461675, G3681454997, G3694284866, G3700295401, G3735356012, G3755077010, G3810236772, G3886017652, G3999575733, G4042783231, G4080017644, G410571670, G4131035492, Race in the Histories of Science and Medicine: A Review Essay and a Research Agenda, G4212894969, G4217215486, G425668148, G4280972364, G4320224000, G4396925471, G4462967385, G4507218474, G451917667, G4529325604, G507957923, G5080475149, G5100556825, G517294234, G523076202, G5356239126, G5385376234, G545007060, Evaluation of the specificity and early diagnostic value of novel peptide biomarkers of Type 1 Diabetes, G5616713406, G5635532810, G5641063287, G585908603, G5860975833, G589433610, G5916014575, G593054264, G5967599077, G6010476436, G6230683201, G6261681677, Pierre Auger Observatory - participation of the Czech Republic, Astrophysics Center for Multimessenger studies in Europe, G6494969456, G672851605, G6753605191, G6761430300, G6958583472, G7502932367, G7517989378, STUDIES OF HIGH ENERGY PARTICLE ASTROPHYSICS, G7720562802, G7805626310, G7863371703, G8037394432, Galactic and Extragalactic Cosmic Rays, Neutrinos and Gamma Rays, G8140083606, G8146748976, G8262994006, G8497050386, G8560619796, G86560745, G8800403394, G884207649, G948983577, G969889393
OpenAlex ID: W7196957390