NASA marked 25 years since it launched its X-ray observatory Chandra yesterday by publishing 25 previously unseen cosmic images the telescope has collected since its inception. See the photos and explainers here.
Named after Indian American Nobel laureate and astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Chandra is the most powerful X-ray observatory in operation. X-rays originate when matter is heated to millions of degrees, commonly in high-energy regions with extreme magnetic or gravitational forces. The telescope has helped reveal the nature of supernovas and galaxy clusters, and has detected X-rays from within 55 miles of a black hole's event horizon, among other discoveries. Trace its accomplishments here.
The 65-foot structure orbits Earth in an elliptical shape every 64 hours, swinging close to Earth before hurtling far beyond the Van Allen radiation belts—dense rings of magnetized solar particles around Earth. From there, it can capture X-ray data unobstructed for 55 hours every orbit. Explore the Chandra in 3D orbit here.
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