HACKER.DIY » Category » X-ray Astronomy

NASA’s Swift Mission Ends, Leaves Behind Scientific Bonanza

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has ended its science mission now that the spacecraft is orbiting less than 171 miles (275 kilometers) above Earth’s surface. The greater atmospheric drag at this height prevents the satellite’s telescopes from steadily gazing at their astronomical targets. Swift conducted its final observation on Oct. 20. It is expected to […]

Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes, Gamma-Ray Bursts, Goddard Space Flight Center, Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, Stars, The Universe, Ultraviolet Light, X-ray Astronomy, X-ray Binaries

NASA-JAXA XRISM Mission Sees Pulsar Gathering Companion’s ‘Wind’

Using data from the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) observatory, astronomers have directly observed a giant star’s outflow, called a stellar wind, being captured by its compact companion and providing the power source for strong X-ray flares. The research is part of NASA’s exploration of the extreme universe to better understand how the […]

Astrophysics, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Goddard Space Flight Center, Neutron Stars, Pulsars, Stars, The Universe, X-ray Astronomy, X-ray Binaries, XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission)

NASA’s Fermi Mission Uncovers Possible Sibling Supernova Remnants

A new study of two supernova remnants, the debris left behind after stars explode, suggests the explosions came from stellar siblings that once orbited each other. The first star’s detonation sent its binary companion hurtling through space, and then, after traveling for thousands of years, the surviving star blew up too.

Astrophysics, Cosmic Rays, Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, Gamma Rays, Goddard Space Flight Center, Infrared Light, Nebulae, Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, Stars, Supernova Remnants, Supernovae, The Universe, Ultraviolet Light, X-ray Astronomy

NASA-JAXA’s XRISM Telescope Clocks Hot Wind of Galaxy M82

For the first time, astronomers have directly measured the speed of superheated gas billowing from a cauldron of stellar activity at the heart of M82.

Astrophysics, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, Cosmic Rays, Galaxies, Goddard Space Flight Center, Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Spitzer Space Telescope, Supernovae, The Universe, X-ray Astronomy, XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission)