See 25 Stunning Images of the Cosmos From the Chandra X-Ray Observatory as It Celebrates 25 Years in Space

JULY 23, 2024

Chandra, the world’s most powerful X-ray telescope, has been peering at black holes, stellar explosions and dark energy for a quarter-century



Astronomers released 25 new images to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory's launch. NASA / SAO / CXC

Though we can’t see them, X-rays are widespread in outer space. They emanate from some of the most powerful—and mysterious—objects in the universe, including black holes, exploded stars and elusive dark energy.

On July 23, 1999, the most powerful X-ray telescope in the world launched, hitching a ride on the Space Shuttle Columbia. Called the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, it has been charting an ellipse-shaped path around the Earth ever since, orbiting at about one-third of the distance to the moon.

“For a quarter-century, Chandra has made discovery after amazing discovery,” Pat Slane, director of the Chandra X-Ray Center, located at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, says in a statement. “Astronomers have used Chandra to investigate mysteries that we didn’t even know about when we were building the telescope—including exoplanets and dark energy.”

Now, used in conjunction with other space-based observatories, Chandra has contributed to myriad scientific discoveries, including uncovering evidence of two of the most distant black holes ever seen. It has captured almost 25,000 observations in its 25 years. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program, while the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-Ray Center controls the science enabled by it.

But as NASA continues to grapple with a limited budget this year, Chandra is in danger of ending up on the agency’s chopping block and the program faces cuts in funding. Either way, as the telescope ages, it might have only ten more operative years, writes Giuseppina Fabbiano, an astrophysicist with the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, for the Coenversation.

More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-25-stunning-images-of-the-cosmos-from-the-chandra-x-ray-observatory-as-it-celebrates-25-years-in-space-180984745/