March, 1998: Cosmic Rays are the only way we can directly sample the stars. And they are one of the biggest challenges in astronomy because they cannot be focused into beautiful pictures of stars and galaxies. Rather, we assemble their debris into a picture of the cosmic ray the instant it hit the detector. It's a mystery story, with cosmic ray astronomers becoming forensic experts reconstructing an accident. The astronomy most people know covers not only the light we see, but radio, microwaves, X-rays, and gamma rays. Most can be focused by lenses or mirrors. But cosmic rays are not electromagnetic radiation - they cover an atomic bestiary of protons, neutrons, and the nuclei of larger atoms. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has been involved in cosmic ray astronomy for more than 25 years. Today, it is pioneering new detection techniques and is designing an advanced new cosmic ray detector - named Fiberman - for the International Space Station.