Some of the universe’s most extreme phenomena—black holes, neutron stars and remnants of stellar explosions—emit copious amounts of x-rays. Just as medical x-rays penetrate skin to reveal bone, cosmic versions pierce clouds of gas and dust to reveal hidden objects in our galaxy and beyond.

Until now, no NASA mission has been able to focus high-energy x-rays to make a clear, high-quality image. The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), to be launched in early 2012, will be the first. Made up of two mirrors, including the one at the right, plus a detector and an expandable mast, its pictures will be 100 times more sensitive than those of previous missions, with a resolution comparable to that of the human eye.

3 Comments

1. 1. Eureka999 01:39 PM 1/19/11

   X-ray tracking of black holes and stellar infrared interferometry will help confirm a dynamic increase in the graviational field around black holes.
   
   This dynamic increase in the graviational field is predicted to start to increase to 1.25 the normal Newtonain gravitional force at 12 Schwarzschild radii(Rs), rising to excatly 4x the normal Newtonian force at 1.5x Rs, and at excatly 6.25x the Newtonian gravitational force at 1x Rs.
   
   Gone are the infinite boundary force singularities.
   
   
   Available online
   
   1.An advanced dynamic adaptation of Newtonian equations of gravity. Physics Essays 21: 222-228.
   http://dx.doi.org/10.4006/1.3027501
   
   
   2. String quintessence and the formulation of advanced quantum gravity. Physics Essays 22: 364-377. http://dx.doi.org/10.4006/1.3182733
   
   

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2. 2. Didonai 06:03 PM 1/28/11

   Human beings are really very ignorant animals. Our best conception of the cosmos is that of a curious monkey playing with a piece of broken mirror. Intelligence is one of the most potent powers in the universe. Cognition is intimately linked to the physical universe and demonstrated in observer object interaction phenomena. I have a hunch that our ability to project our focus in forms of consciousness (cognition) has an effect on what we observe. Its not an absurd notion that somehow somewhere in the vastness reached by our clever instruments exists a conscious awareness that capable of KNOWING it is being LOOKED AT. The better our instrument focus on the universe, the more precise the form of the map we are advertising about WHERE/WHAT we are on our little dust mote planet. We are sending invitations to the universe and the more we engage technology to advance our curiosity the closer we come to inviting visitors.
   

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3. 3. Eureka999 07:59 AM 1/29/11

   
   
   The main reason to suppose that there is truly intelligent life in the Universe, is that they haven't contacted us.

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