X-Ray Astronomy

Half the Entire Sky, Seen in X-Rays

There's an old trope in science fiction about someone suddenly getting X-ray vision and looking through solid objects. It turns…

2 months ago

Chinese Rocket Lofts the Einstein Probe and its “Lobster Eyes”

Any astronomical instrument dubbed “Lobster Eyes” is bound to grab attention. It’s actually unlike scientists to give anything creative names,…

3 months ago

Japan’s New X-Ray Observatory Sees First Light

XRISM, the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, is a joint NASA/JAXA mission led by JAXA. The X-ray space telescope began…

3 months ago

Spider Pulsars are Tearing Apart Stars in the Omega Cluster

Pulsars are extreme objects. They're what's left over when a massive star collapses on itself and explodes as a supernova.…

4 months ago

Confirmed. Ultra-Luminous X-Ray Sources are Really That Bright

At the extreme end of astrophysics, there are all sorts of phenomena that seem to be counter-intuitive. For example, how…

11 months ago

The Crab Nebula Looks Completely Different in X-Rays, Revealing its Magnetic Fields

An international team of astronomers has created the most accurate map to date of the Crab Nebula's magnetic field, revealing…

11 months ago

Hungry Black Hole was Already Feasting 800 Million Years After the Big Bang

Black holes swallow everything—including light—which explains why we can't see them. But we can observe their immediate surroundings and learn…

1 year ago

A Star Came too Close to a Black Hole. It Didn’t End Well

Black holes are confounding objects that stretch physics to its limits. The most massive ones lurk in the centers of…

1 year ago

How Dangerous are Nearby Supernovae to Life on Earth?

Life and supernovae don't mix. From a distance, supernovae explosions are fascinating. A star more massive than our Sun runs…

1 year ago

Most Black Holes Spin Rapidly. This one… Doesn’t

A Chandra X-ray Observatory view of the supermassive black hole at the heart of quasar H1821+643. Courtesy NASA/CXC/Univ. of Cambridge/J.…

2 years ago