The Making Of XMM

XMM-Newton's name comes from the design of its mirrors, the highly nested X-ray Multi-Mirrors. These are enabling astronomers to discover more X-ray sources than with any of the previous space observatories. In one day, XMM-Newton sees more sources in a small area than one of the earliest X-ray satellites UHURU found across the whole sky during its three years in operation.
However, the programme also has a more formal name: the High-Throughput X-ray Spectroscopy Mission. Spectroscopy, the spreading of light into a spectrum, allows astronomers to measure a sources composition. In the same way the colour of a lamp indicates what gas is used in street lighting, the three scientific instruments on board XMM-Newton will reveal the deepest secrets of a source, its chemical composition, temperature, and even the velocity of the source.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• satellite
• X-ray
• telescope
• galaxies
• spectroscopy