China just launched a massive underground lab to study neutrinos
China just launched the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) on August 26, 2025.
Tucked 700 meters below ground in Guangdong, this massive lab is designed to catch antineutrinos—tiny, elusive particles that barely interact with anything.
The heart of JUNO is a giant sphere filled with liquid that lights up when these rare particles pass through.
What's the big mystery?
JUNO's big mission is to crack a physics mystery called "neutrino mass ordering"—basically figuring out the pecking order of three types of neutrinos: electron, muon, and tau.
By tracking particle hits with super-precise tech, scientists hope to get new clues about how our universe works at its most fundamental level.
The world's biggest neutrino detector
Packed with advanced technology, JUNO is now the world's largest and most precise neutrino detector. Early results are already meeting expectations.
With plans to run for three decades, it'll also hunt for other wild phenomena like sterile neutrinos and proton decay—helping scientists everywhere piece together more secrets of the universe.