The Moon Occulting GX 5-1
The image shows the results of a lunar occultation observation of the galactic X-ray source GX 5-1, an observation which required creative mission planning because the geometry of the source, the Moon, the Earth and the satellite had to be considered. Here, red indicates soft X-rays while yellow (white) indicates hard X-rays which for the most part originate from GX5-1, a distant source in the Galactic plane. By using the moon to occult the central source, the dust-scattered halo of GX 5-1 is clearly visible.
Get the high resolution (2663k) TIFF format version.
Curator:
HEASARC Guest Observer Facility
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