. 24/7 Space News .
STELLAR CHEMISTRY
China launches its first X-ray space telescope
By Joanna CHIU
Beijing (AFP) June 15, 2017


China successfully launched on Thursday its first X-ray space telescope to study black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts, state media reported.

A Long March-4B rocket carried the 2.5-tonne telescope into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gobi Desert at 11:00 am (3:00 GMT), according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), named Insight, will allow Chinese scientists to observe magnetic fields and the interiors of pulsars and better understand the evolution of black holes.

It will also help scientists search for gamma-ray bursts corresponding to gravitational waves and study how to pulsars can be used for spacecraft navigation, Xinhua said.

"We are looking forward to discovering new activities of black holes and studying the state of neutron stars under extreme gravity and density conditions, and physical laws under extreme magnetic fields," Xinhua quoted HXMT lead scientist Zhang Shuangnan as saying.

"These studies are expected to bring new breakthroughs in physics," Zhang added.

The telescope will seek out new black hole activity by repeatedly scanning the Milky Way for active celestial bodies that emit X-rays.

Black holes are usually undetectable, but when matter falls into a black hole, it is accelerated and heated, emitting X-rays in the process, Zhang explained.

Compared with other countries' space telescopes, HXMT has a larger detection area and broader energy range -- providing advantages in finding black holes and neutron stars that emit bright X-rays -- and making scanning the galaxy more efficient, according to Zhang.

Very bright objects have a large number of photon particles, which can result in image over-exposure, but HXMT designers solved the problem by diffusing photons instead of focusing them.

"No matter how bright the sources are, our telescope won't be blinded," chief designer Chen Yong said.

Beijing sees its multi-billion-dollar space programme as a symbol of its rise and of the Communist Party's success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.

In April, China's first cargo spacecraft successfully docked with an orbiting space lab -- a key development toward China's goal of having its own crewed space station by 2022.

Last month, China opened a "Lunar Palace" laboratory on Earth to simulate a moon-like environment and house students for up to 200 days as the country prepares for its long-term goal of sending humans to the natural satellite.

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
The VLA-COSMOS 3 GHz large project
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 15, 2017
Astronomy and Astrophysics is publishing a series of six articles presenting the results of the VLA-COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project. Led by researchers at the University of Zagreb, the team used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) telescope to observe a two square degree patch of sky called the COSMOS field, for a duration of 384 hours. The astronomers obtained one of the clearest (highes ... read more

Related Links
Stellar Chemistry, The Universe And All Within It


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Russia launches space freighter to ISS

Pence hails new NASA astronauts as 'best of us'

Bread Me Up, Scotty: Crumb-Free Pastries Coming to the ISS

NASA Prepares for Future Space Exploration with International Undersea Crew

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Launch Vehicle Rocket Engines

India's Kerosene-Based Semi-Cryogenic Engine to Be Flight Test Ready by 2021

Russia's Next Carrier-Based Rocket Launch Planned for 2018 - Khrunichev Center

Proton returns to flight with US satellite after 12 month hiatus

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Walkabout Above 'Perseverance Valley'

Window to a watery past on Mars

NASA Finds Evidence of Diverse Environments in Curiosity Samples

Hot rocks, not warm atmosphere, led to relatively recent water-carved valleys on Mars

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
What China's space ambitions have to do with politics

China to open space station to scientists worldwide

China achieves key breakthrough in multiple launch vehicles

China's space station to help maintain co-orbital telescope

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Trudeau under pressure to reject China bid for satellite firm

Jumpstart goes into alliance with major aerospace and defence group ADS

Thomas Pesquet returns to Earth

Propose a course idea for the CU space minor

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
The first nanometrically-sized superelastic alloy

Cloudy with a chance of radiation: NASA studies simulated radiation

Oyster shells inspire new method to make superstrong, flexible polymers

New technique enables 3-D printing with paste of silicone particles in water

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
The Art of Exoplanets

OU astrophysicist identifies composition of Earth-size planets in TRAPPIST-1 system

ALMA Finds Ingredient of Life Around Infant Sun-like Stars

Astronomers Explain Formation of Seven Exoplanets Around TRAPPIST-1

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
A whole new Jupiter with first science results from Juno

First results from Juno show cyclones and massive magnetism

Jupiters complex transient auroras

NASA's Juno probe forces 'rethink' on Jupiter









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.