NASA spots explosion of X-rays glowing in the universe
NASA peers deep into the cosmos at the bright, leftover cinders of exploded stars, called pulsars.
Now, the space agency has released a map-like image showing loops and arcs of X-ray energy -- invisible to the naked eye -- radiating from these dense cores of once massive stars.
The most radiant spots are the suspected pulsars, repeatedly blasting X-ray energy into space. These trails of energy, or electromagnetic radiation, reveal the powerful sources of these X-rays.
"Even with minimal processing, this image reveals the Cygnus Loop, a supernova remnant about 90 light-years across and thought to be 5,000 to 8,000 years old,” said NASA's Keith Gendreau, who leads the imaging mission called NICER, in a statement. “We’re gradually building up a new X-ray image of the whole sky, and it’s possible NICER’s nighttime sweeps will uncover previously unknown sources.”
NICER, short for Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer, is a cube-shaped instrument attached to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA focuses on specific pulsar targets, so NICER repeatedly follows similar tracks through the sky, ultimately creating prominent arcs of X-ray radiation on this sky map.
In total, this image is an X-ray map showing 22 months of radiation traveling through space.
NICER will continue to scan the cosmos for blasts of X-rays so they can better understand the sources of this energy -- pulsars. Astronomers suspect these stars act like lighthouse beacons in the universe, regularly emanating or "pulsing" blasts of X-ray light as they spin.
Grasping how different pulsars "pulse" may serve quite useful for future deep space travel through the solar system. NASA plans for a coherent map of pulsars to essentially act like a "GPS system in space."
"When mature, this technology will enable spacecraft to navigate themselves throughout the solar system -- and beyond," NASA said.
Mark was the science editor at Mashable. After working as a ranger with the National Park Service, he started a reporting career after seeing the extraordinary value in educating people about the happenings on Earth, and beyond.
He's descended 2,500 feet into the ocean depths in search of the sixgill shark, ventured into the halls of top R&D laboratories, and interviewed some of the most fascinating scientists in the world.
