Media Information
 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
The X-ray Timing Explorer
Explanation:
Launched Saturday [ http://heasarc.gsfc…] on a Delta rocket [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], the X-ray Timing Explorer [ http://heasarc.gsfc…] (XTE) will watch the sky for rapid changes in X-rays [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. XTE [ http://heasarc.gsfc…] carries three separate X-ray telescopes. The Proportional Counter Array [ http://heasarc.gsfc…] (PCA) and the High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment [ http://mamacass.ucs…] (HEXTE) will provide the best timing information in the widest X-ray energy range yet available. They will observe stellar systems [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that contain black holes [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], neutron stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], and white dwarfs [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] as well as study the X-ray properties of the centers of active galaxies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. XTE [ http://space.mit.ed…]'s All Sky Monitor [ http://heasarc.gsfc…] (ASM) will scan the sky every 90 minutes to find new X-ray transients and track the variability of old ones. XTE has a planned life time of two years.
Credit and Copyright:
NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov], MIT [ http://web.mit.edu/], UCSD [ http://www.ucsd.edu/]
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where:
Washington, D.C.
facet_what:
Explorer
facet_what:
X-Ray Timing Explorer
original url:
http://antwrp.gsfc.…
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap960103

The X-ray Timing Explorer
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