Back in 2013, the scientists running the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica were pretty sure they had found what they were looking for: cosmic neutrinos, neutrally charged subatomic particles that can give researchers insights into some of the universe's most mysterious machinations. After sifting through all the data, the researchers are now even more certain of their findings, according to a paper published today in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Neutrinos are made from radioactive decay in some of the highest-energy spots in the universe, like black holes and exploding stars, and yet they pass through molecules constantly without affecting them. They can act as "astronomical messengers," as IceCube lab's web site notes, carrying unadulterated information about their sources across the universe.