A neutrino is a subatomic particle that is very similar to an electron, but has no electrical charge and a very small mass, which might even be zero. Neutrinos are one of the most abundant particles in the universe. Because they have very little interaction with matter, they are incredibly difficult to detect. They are produced in high-energy nuclear reactions, such as those that take place in the sun and in nuclear reactors.
The neutrino was postulated by Wolfgang Pauli in 1930 to explain the conservation of energy in beta decay. The name 'neutrino' was coined by Enrico Fermi, meaning 'little neutral one' in Italian.
Neutrino astronomy is a growing field, with large detectors like IceCube and Super-Kamiokande providing insights into the sun, supernovae, and other cosmic phenomena.