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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
The X-ray Timing Explorer
Explanation: Launched Saturday on a Delta rocket , the X-ray Timing Explorer (XTE) will watch the sky for rapid changes in X-rays . XTE carries three separate X-ray telescopes. The Proportional Counter Array (PCA) and the High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment (HEXTE) will provide the best timing information in the widest X-ray energy range yet available. They will observe stellar systems that contain black holes , neutron stars , and white dwarfs as well as study the X-ray properties of the centers of active galaxies . XTE 's All Sky Monitor (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.
| Date | January 3, 1996 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit: NASA, MIT, UCSD |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |