The galactic cosmic radiation appears to be completely isotropic and constant.

Luckily the incident particle flux decreases rapidly with increased particle energy. This means that the highest energy particles are extremely rare.

The number of galactic cosmic rays averaged over all energies is about (in order of decreasing abundance;

• 1.50x10³ (+/- 0.15x10³) protons · s · m^-2
  
• 200 (+/- 20) electrons · s · m^-2
  
• 89 (+/- 3) alpha particles · s · m^-2
  
• 10 (+/- 1) all other particles · s · m^-2

Galactic cosmic rays, and the secondary particle showers they produce, provide a major source of personal radiation exposure. The intensity of this background radiation increases gradually with increasing altitude.

The background cosmic radiation in Halifax is less than the background cosmic radiation in Calgary.