Cosmic rays are high-energy particles, primarily protons, that originate from various astrophysical sources such as supernovae, active galactic nuclei, and other energetic events in the universe. While cosmic rays can attain extremely high speeds, it is important to clarify that they do not actually travel faster than the speed of light.
The confusion might arise from the fact that cosmic rays can have energies far greater than what we can achieve in particle accelerators on Earth. These particles can reach relativistic speeds, approaching the speed of light. However, they still abide by the fundamental laws of physics, including the principle that no object with mass can reach or exceed the speed of light.
So, even though cosmic rays are extremely energetic and can approach the speed of light, they are not traveling faster than light. They are subject to relativistic effects, such as time dilation and length contraction, as their energy increases and they approach the speed of light, but they never surpass that cosmic speed limit.
The energy and speed of cosmic rays make them interesting subjects of study in astrophysics and particle physics, helping us understand the extreme conditions and processes occurring in the universe.