The Large Hadron Collider has finally collided something!

Actually, given the woes that have beset the particle physics experiment, the LHC has probably been responsible for several previous collisions: between physicists’ heads and various walls at the CERN complex. But now it has begun the proper smashing – that of particles against other particles – by cross the beams of protons that have been circulating around the giant ring since last week.

In a statement, CERN said:

Beams were first tuned to produce collisions in the ATLAS detector, which recorded its first candidate for collisions at 14:22 [yesterday] afternoon.

This image shows the first possible collision seen at the ATLAS experiment:

See also: LHC sees particles circulate once more

Image: CERN