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, balloon ...
s are designed to observe the
x-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
region of the
electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of frequencies (the spectrum) of electromagnetic radiation and their respective wavelengths and photon energies.
The electromagnetic spectrum covers electromagnetic waves with frequencies ranging fro ...
. X-rays from
outer space
Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
cannot be observed from the ground due to absorption by the
atmosphere
An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A ...
, 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 Hans Wolter (11 May 1911 in Dramburg – 17 August 1978 in Marburg) was a German physicist who designed an aplanatic system of grazing incidence mirrors that satisfied the Abbe sine condition (i.e. free of both spherical aberration and coma).
Wolte ...
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.
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Normal Incidence X-ray Telescope (series of
sounding rocket
A sounding rocket or rocketsonde, sometimes called a research rocket or a suborbital rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The rockets are used to ...
payloads, flown in the late 1980s and 1990s)
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Multi-spectral solar telescope array (MSSTA) (series of
sounding rocket
A sounding rocket or rocketsonde, sometimes called a research rocket or a suborbital rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The rockets are used to ...
payloads, flown in the 1990s and early 2000s)
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Polarised Gamma-ray Observer (PoGOLite) (balloon-borne astroparticle physics experiment, flown 2011-2013)
Gallery
File:Skylab X-ray Spectrographic Telescope (7022359).jpg, Skylab S-54 instrument, an X-ray telescope
File:PSR B1509-58 full.jpg, Chandra (AXAF) checks out a pulsar with its focusing X-ray optics
File:Nustar FM0 2010aug05.jpg, NuStar's lens for focusing X-rays
File:Wolter-types.gif, Wolter telescopes of Types I, II, and III
See also
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List of telescope types
The following are lists of devices categorized as types of telescopes or devices associated with telescopes. They are broken into major classifications with many variations due to professional, amateur, and commercial sub-types. Telescopes can be ...
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Lists of telescopes
This is a list of lists of telescopes.
* List of astronomical interferometers at visible and infrared wavelengths
*List of astronomical observatories
*List of highest astronomical observatories
*List of large optical telescopes
* List of largest ...
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Calorimetric Electron Telescope
The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) is a space telescope being mainly used to perform high precision observations of electrons and gamma rays. It tracks the trajectory of electrons, protons, nuclei, and gamma rays and measures their dire ...
(telescope type)
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Cosmic-ray observatory
A cosmic-ray observatory is a scientific installation built to detect high-energy-particles coming from space called cosmic rays. This typically includes photons (high-energy light), electrons, protons, and some heavier nuclei, as well as antimat ...
(mission type)
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Phase-contrast X-ray imaging
Phase-contrast X-ray imaging or phase-sensitive X-ray imaging is a general term for different technical methods that use information concerning changes in the phase of an X-ray beam that passes through an object in order to create its images. St ...
(general term)
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Wolter telescope
A Wolter telescope is a telescope for X-rays that only uses grazing incidence optics – mirrors that reflect X-rays at very shallow angles.
Problems with conventional telescope designs
Conventional telescope designs require reflection or refract ...
(telescope type)
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X-ray astronomy satellite
An X-ray astronomy satellite studies X-ray emissions from celestial objects, as part of a branch of space science known as X-ray astronomy. Satellites are needed because X-radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so instruments to detect ...
(mission type)
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X-ray spectroscopy
X-ray spectroscopy is a general term for several spectroscopic techniques for characterization of materials by using x-ray radiation.
Characteristic X-ray spectroscopy
When an electron from the inner shell of an atom is excited by the energy o ...
(general term)
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Lists of spacecraft
This is a list of lists of spacecraft.
* List of active Solar System probes
* List of crewed spacecraft
* List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters
* List of heaviest spacecraft
* List of lunar probes
* List of Mars landers
* List of Mars orbiters
...
References
External links
Comparison with of X-ray satellitesComparison of XMM-Newton EPIC, Chandra ACIS-S3, ASCA SIS and GIS, and ROSAT PSPC Results for G21.5-0.9, 1E0102.2-7219, and MS1-54.4-0321
{{Portal bar, Astronomy, Stars, Spaceflight, Outer space, Solar System
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X-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
X-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...