The supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way is spinning so quickly it is warping the spacetime surrounding it into a shape that can look like a football, according to a new study using data from NASA’s …
“Sagitarius A”: Telescopes Show the Milky Way’s Black Hole is ready for a Kick Read More »
On February 3, IXPE completed its prime mission and began the General Observer phase of the mission. During its 754-day baseline Science mission, IXPE conducted 115 total polarimetry observations of 64 distinct sources, for a total exposure of 439 days …
Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Completion of Baseline Science Mission Read More »
At the recent winter AAS meeting, Michael Katz volunteered for two 1.5 hour shifts at the PhysCOS booth talking with folks about PhysCOS and other areas of NASA and astrophysics. Katz also participated in the Multimessenger LISA workshop that took …
LISA Representation at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Winter Meeting Read More »
Astronomers have discovered one of the most powerful eruptions from a black hole ever recorded. This mega-explosion billions of years ago may help explain the formation of a striking pattern of star clusters around two massive galaxies, resembling beads on …
Philip Kaaret (ST12) is a coauthor on the paper, “Soft X-Ray Energy Spectra in the Wide-field Galactic Disk Area Revealed with HaloSat”, published in the Astrophysical Journal. The first author was Kazuki Ampuku, a student at Nagoya University, who completed …
On 2/9/24, Astrophysical Journal published online “First detection of polarization in X-rays for PSR B0540-69 and its nebula” by Fei Xie et al. On 2/21/24, Astrophysical Journal published online “Detection of X-ray polarization from the blazar 1ES 1959+650 with the …
New Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Discovery Papers Published Read More »
Chandra autonomously transitioned to Normal Sun Mode (NSM) during an observation late on Saturday, February 2, 2024. The transition was nominal, science instruments were safed properly, and all telemetry was as expected. The immediate cause of the anomaly was a …
On 1/16/24, NASA posted “NASA’s IXPE Helps Researchers Maximize ‘Microquasar’ Findings” (https://www.nasa.gov/missions/ixpe/nasas-ixpe-helps-researchers-maximize-microquasar-findings/). The posting, coinciding with publication of the Astrophysical Journal Letters article, includes combined images from IXPE, Chandra, XMM-Newton, infrared, and radio observatories. The microquasar in question – Stephenson …
Multiple Marshall Space Flight Center Astrophysics scientists participated in the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Project Scientist, Steven Ehlert (ST12), gave a NASA Hyperwall presentation summarizing IXPE science results obtained thus far and, …
Peter Maksym attended the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society on 1/10/24, to present preliminary results for a collaboration that he is leading that uses Chandra X-ray observations to study a new deep survey field at the North Ecliptic …
