News Particle Physics

Scientists are building underwater neutrino telescopes in the Mediterranean

The devices will catch high-energy neutrinos that could reveal secrets of the cosmos

Workers on a ship prepare to launch a giant round piece of equipment off of a bright yellow ramp

Onboard a ship in the Mediterranean Sea, workers prepare launching equipment for the installation of the underwater neutrino telescope KM3NeT.

Simone Biagi

By Emily Conover

Deploying a telescope in space is one thing. Making two of them deep under the sea is a task in a league of its own.

On a ship bobbing in the Mediterranean Sea, physicists — not typically known for their sea legs — brave weeklong voyages and rough waters, working around the clock to deploy the telescopes’ detectors.