> The Oh-My-God particle had 10^20 (100 quintillion) times the photon energy of visible light, equivalent to a 142-gram (5 oz) baseball travelling at about 28 m/s (100 km/h; 63 mph)
For comparison a typical professional baseball pitch is around 90mph. At 63mph I guess it might not break your face, but it would certainly leave a bruise (if it was actually a baseball -- who knows what the actual particle would do to flesh and bone). I know people are pretty derisive about using swimming pools or whatever for measurement, but I think this one is pretty good for bringing incomprehensible numbers into the realm of lay-understanding.
For comparison a typical professional baseball pitch is around 90mph. At 63mph I guess it might not break your face, but it would certainly leave a bruise (if it was actually a baseball -- who knows what the actual particle would do to flesh and bone). I know people are pretty derisive about using swimming pools or whatever for measurement, but I think this one is pretty good for bringing incomprehensible numbers into the realm of lay-understanding.