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Chandra first detected X-ray source, Leon X-1
Credit: NASA/CXC; S. Wolk


Leon X-1

The great Chandra X-ray Observatory, the finest X-ray telescope yet built, was launched by the Space Shuttle Columbia on July 23, 1999. Perhaps the most important event to take place in the early weeks after launch was the opening of the sunshade door. Chandra's sunshade entirely covered the front of the telescope during transfer and launch and protected Chandra's exquisite mirrors and advanced detectors from damage. But when closed, the sunshade blocked X-rays from entering the telescope - so opening the sunshade was absolutely critical if Chandra were to fulfill its mission to study the X-ray Universe. On August 12, 1999, explosive bolts holding the sunshade in place were fired, and anxious scientists waited to see if the sunshade actually did open. But it did. Scientists and the engineers at the Chandra X-ray Center saw Chandra's first cosmic X-ray picture gradually build up, photon by photon. After about 2.5 hours, the Chandra scientists were excited to see not only X-ray photons from the Universe, but Chandra's first detected X-ray source, later identified as an accreting supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy. The source, shown above in a negative of the X-ray image, was immediately dubbed "Leon X-1", to honor of Dr. Leon van Speybroeck, the Chandra Telescope Scientist who designed Chandra's mirrors, to recognize his key contributions to the mission. Chandra has been operating nearly flawlessly (with one or two exceptions) for twenty-five years now, providing the highest resolution images of the X-ray sky, helping to revolutionize our understanding of the Universe and our place in it.
Published: August 19, 2024


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Each week the HEASARC brings you new, exciting and beautiful images from X-ray and Gamma ray astronomy. Check back each week and be sure to check out the HEAPOW archive!
Page Author: Dr. Michael F. Corcoran
Last modified Monday, 26-Aug-2024 12:03:15 EDT