Astrophysics Branch

Marshall Space Flight Center's Astrophysics Branch uses space and ground-based observatories to peer back to the earliest epochs of the universe, unravel its mysteries, and study the most violent explosions in our galaxy and beyond. Our goal is to help discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for life on planets around other stars.

A growing black hole, called a quasar, is seen at the center of a faraway galaxy in this artist's concept. Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer and Chandra space telescopes discovered swarms of similar quasars hiding in dusty galaxies in the distant universe.

Chandra: “Setting the Clock on a Stellar Explosion”

October 30, 2022

The Chandra image release titled “Setting the Clock on a Stellar Explosion” was featured as the “NASA Image of the Day” on 9/12/22. A new image of SNR 0519-69.0 shows the debris of a star that exploded several hundred years …

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Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Target of Opportunity and Lessons Learned

October 30, 2022

A target of opportunity was approved, to observe the low-mass X-ray binary source XTE J1704-462, which is in outburst for the first time in 15 years. Because of the expected high counting rate, which can fill the on-board memory, the …

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Marshall Scientists Co-Authors Paper on the Discovery of a Relatavistic Jet from A Tidal Disruption Event

October 30, 2022

Dan Kocevski. of the Relativistic Astrophysics Team, (ST12) co-authored a ground-breaking paper accepted by Nature on the discovery of a relativistic jet created by the tidal disruption of a star passing close to a black hole. The event, named AT …

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Chandra Virtual Field Trip Featured in NASA Express STEM Newsletter

October 30, 2022

Chandra’s virtual field trip registration is featured in the 9/29/22 issue of the NASA Express STEM weekly newsletter. Chandra, in conjunction with SAO, invites educators of all grade levels to take their students on a virtual field trip with astrophysics …

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Chandra Supports the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s SciVis Space Camp Week

October 30, 2022

Chandra’s Education and Outreach group supported the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s week long SciVis SPACE CAMP with education and outreach materials 9/18-23/22. Roughly 100 non-visual campers/students participated in the weeklong session. Chandra was able to provide models, tactile plates, …

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