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List Of X-ray Space Telescopes
X-ray telescopes are designed to observe the x-ray region of the electromagnetic spectrum. X-rays from outer space cannot be observed from the ground due to absorption by the atmosphere, and so x-ray telescopes must be launched into orbit. Their mirrors require a very low angle of reflection (typically 10 arc-minutes to 2 degrees). These are called ''glancing (or grazing) incidence mirrors''. In 1952, Hans Wolter outlined three ways a telescope could be built using only this kind of mirror. Space-borne observatories and instruments This list contains space-borne observatories as well as X-ray instruments as part of a larger mission, both past, present and in the proposal stage. High-altitude atmospheric observatories and instruments Sometimes X-Ray observations are made from a near-space environment on sounding rockets or high-altitude balloons. * Normal Incidence X-ray Telescope (series of sounding rocket payloads, flown in the late 1980s and 1990s) * Multi-spectral solar tel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
X-ray Telescope
An X-ray telescope (XRT) is a telescope that is designed to observe remote objects in the X-ray spectrum. In order to get above the Earth's atmosphere, which is opaque to X-rays, X-ray telescopes must be mounted on high altitude rockets, balloons or artificial satellites. The basic elements of the telescope are the optics (focusing or collimating), that collects the radiation entering the telescope, and the detector, on which the radiation is collected and measured. A variety of different designs and technologies have been used for these elements. Many of the existing telescopes on satellites are compounded of multiple copies or variations of a detector-telescope system, whose capabilities add or complement each other and additional fixed or removable elements (filters, spectrometers) that add functionalities to the instrument. Optics The most common methods used in X-ray optics are grazing incidence mirrors and collimated apertures. Focusing mirrors The utilization of X-r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BeppoSAX
BeppoSAX was an Italian–Dutch satellite for X-ray astronomy which played a crucial role in resolving the origin of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most energetic events known in the universe. It was the first X-ray mission capable of simultaneously observing targets over more than 3 decades of energy, from 0.1 to 300 kiloelectronvolts (keV) with relatively large area, good (for the time) energy resolution and imaging capabilities (with a spatial resolution of 1 arc minute between 0.1 and 10 keV). BeppoSAX was a major programme of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) with the participation of the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes (NIVR). The prime contractor for the space segment was Alenia while Nuova Telespazio led the development of the ground segment. Most of the scientific instruments were developed by the Italian National Research Council (CNR) while the Wide Field Cameras were developed by the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON) and the LECS was developed by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ginga (satellite)
ASTRO-C, renamed Ginga (Japanese for 'galaxy'), was an X-ray astronomy satellite launched from the Kagoshima Space Center on 5 February 1987 using M-3SII launch vehicle. The primary instrument for observations was the Large Area Counter (LAC). Ginga was the third Japanese X-ray astronomy mission, following Hakucho and Tenma (also Hinotori satellite - which preceded Ginga - had X-ray sensors, but it can be seen as a heliophysics rather than X-ray astronomy mission). Ginga reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 1 November 1991. Instruments * Large Area Proportional Counter (LAC 1.5-37 keV) * All-Sky Monitor (ASM 1-20 keV) * Gamma-ray Burst Detector (GBD 1.5-500 keV) Highlights *Discovery of transient Black Hole Candidates and study of their spectral evolution. *Discovery of weak transients in the galactic ridge. *Detection of cyclotron features in 3 X-ray pulsars: 4U1538-522, V0332+53, and Cep X-4. *Evidence for emission and absorption Fe feature in Seyfert probing reproces ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (FGST, also FGRST), formerly called the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), is a space observatory being used to perform gamma-ray astronomy observations from low Earth orbit. Its main instrument is the Large Area Telescope (LAT), with which astronomers mostly intend to perform an all-sky survey studying astrophysical and cosmological phenomena such as active galactic nuclei An active galactic nucleus (AGN) is a compact region at the center of a galaxy that has a much-higher-than-normal luminosity over at least some portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with characteristics indicating that the luminosity is not prod ..., pulsars, other high-energy sources and dark matter. Another instrument aboard Fermi, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM; formerly GLAST Burst Monitor), is being used to study gamma-ray bursts and solar flares. Fermi, named for high-energy physics pioneer Enrico Fermi, was launched on 11 June 2008 at 16:05 UTC ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
EXOSAT
The European X-ray Observatory Satellite (EXOSAT), originally named HELOS, was an X-ray telescope operational from May 1983 until April 1986 and in that time made 1780 observations in the X-ray band of most classes of astronomical object including active galactic nuclei, stellar coronae, cataclysmic variable In astronomy, cataclysmic variable stars (CVs) are stars which irregularly increase in brightness by a large factor, then drop back down to a quiescent state. They were initially called novae (), since ones with an outburst brightness visible to ...s, white dwarfs, X-ray binaries, cluster of galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and supernova remnants. This European Space Agency (ESA) satellite for direct-pointing and lunar-occultation observation of X-ray sources beyond the solar system was launched into a highly eccentric orbit (apogee 200,000 km, perigee 500 km) almost perpendicular to that of the moon on 26 May 1983. The instrumentation includes two low-energy im ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
EROSITA
eROSITA is an X-ray instrument built by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Germany. It is part of the Russian–German Spektr-RG space observatory, which also carries the Russian telescope ART-XC. It was launched by Roscosmos on 13 July 2019 from Baikonur, and deployed in a 6-month halo orbit around the second Lagrange point (L2). It began collecting data in October 2019. Due to the breakdown of institutional cooperation between Germany and Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, the instrument stopped collecting data on February 26, 2022. Overview eROSITA was originally designed by the ESA for the International Space Station, and it was concluded in 2005 that its accommodation on a dedicated free flyer would provide significantly improved scientific output. The eROSITA telescopes are based on the design of the ABRIXAS observatory launched in April 1999, whose battery was accidentally overcharged and destroyed three days after the mission started. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wide-field X-ray Telescope
Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT) (also known as EP-WXT-pathfinder), is a wide-field X-ray imaging space telescope launched by China in July 2022. EP-WXT-pathfinder has a sensor module giving it a field of view of 340 square degree __NOTOC__ A square degree (deg2) is a non- SI unit measure of solid angle. Other denotations include ''sq. deg.'' and (°)2. Just as degrees are used to measure parts of a circle, square degrees are used to measure parts of a sphere. Analogous to ...s. It is a preliminary mission testing the sensor design for the future Einstein Probe which will use a 12 sensor module WXT for a 3600 square degree field of view. The sensor uses lobster-eye micropore optics. References X-ray telescopes Chinese telescopes 2022 establishments in China {{telescope-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Einstein Observatory
Einstein Observatory (HEAO-2) was the first fully imaging X-ray telescope put into space and the second of NASA's three High Energy Astrophysical Observatories. Named HEAO B before launch, the observatory's name was changed to honor Albert Einstein upon its successfully attaining orbit. Project conception and design The HEAO Program, High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO) program originated in the late 1960's within the Astronomy Missions Board at NASA, which recommended the launch of a series of satellite observatories dedicated to high-energy astronomy. In 1970, NASA requested proposals for experiments to fly on these observatories, and a team organized by Riccardo Giacconi, Herbert Gursky, George W. Clark, Elihu Boldt, and Robert Novick responded in October 1970 with a proposal for an x-ray telescope. NASA approved four missions in the HEAO program, with the x-ray telescope planned to be the third mission. One of the three missions of the HEAO program was cancelled in F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
STS-54
STS-54 was a NASA ''Space Transportation System'' (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. This was the third flight for ''Endeavour'', and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center on January 19, 1993. Crew Mission highlights The primary payload was the fifth TDRS satellite, TDRS-F, which was deployed on day one of the mission. It was later successfully transferred to its proper orbit by the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS). Also carried into orbit in the payload bay was a Hitchhiker experiment called the Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer (DXS). This instrument collected data on X-ray radiation from diffuse sources in deep space. Other middeck payloads to test the effects of microgravity included the Commercial General Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGPA) for-life sciences research; the Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space Experiment (CHROMEX) to-study plant growth; the Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orbiting Astronomical Observatory
The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO) satellites were a series of four American space observatories launched by NASA between 1966 and 1972, managed by NASA Chief of Astronomy Nancy Grace Roman. These observatories, including the first successful space telescope, provided the first high-quality observations of many objects in ultraviolet light. Although two OAO missions were failures, the success of the other two increased awareness within the astronomical community of the benefits of space-based observations, and led to the instigation of the Hubble Space Telescope. OAO-1 The first OAO was launched successfully on 8 April 1966, carrying instruments to detect ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma ray emission. Before the instruments could be activated, a power failure resulted in the termination of the mission after three days. The spacecraft was out of control, so that the solar panels could not be deployed to recharge the batteries that would supply power to the electrical and e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Constellation-X Observatory
The Constellation-X Observatory (Con-X or HTXS) was a mission concept for an X-ray space observatory to be operated by NASA; in 2008 it was merged with ESA and JAXA efforts in the same direction to produce the International X-ray Observatory project, announced on 24 July 2008. The intention of the Con-X project was to provide enough X-ray collecting area to be able to feed a spectroscope of substantially higher resolution than the previous generation (XMM-Newton, Chandra X-ray Observatory and Suzaku) of space-based X-ray telescopes; this would allow the resolution of individual hot-spots at the event horizon of black holes, of warm intergalactic matter (by seeing absorption lines at various redshifts superposed onto the spectra of background quasars) and of dynamics within galaxy clusters. Technology for Con-X The project intended to have separate low-energy and high-energy X-ray telescopes, to work from 100eV to 40keV spectrum. The collecting area requirements would have b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
