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Definition: X–ray astronomy from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate(R) Dictionary

(1963) : astronomy dealing with investigations of celestial bodies by means of the X-rays they emit


X-ray astronomy

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
study of celestial objects by means of the X rays they emit, in the wavelength range from 0.01 to 10 nanometers. X-ray astronomy dates to 1949 with the discovery that the sun emits X rays. Since X rays could not be observed from ground-based telescopes, V-2 rockets launched from White Sands, N.Mex., occasionally carried telescopes to study solar X-ray emissions. In 1962 a group led by R. Giacconi launched a small rocket from White Sands to search for celestial sources of X rays with instruments similar to Geiger counters. During the 5-min flight the experiment discovered an X-ray source now called Scorpius X-1, a close binary star in which one star expels gas onto a very dense neighbor, which may be a white dwarf , a neutron star , or a black hole . This mission also found that the earth is bathed in diffuse X rays coming from all directions. Soon afterward X-ray emissions were found coming from the Crab Nebula and the radio galaxies (galaxies whose radio emissions constitute an…
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Full text Article X-ray astronomy

From Collins Dictionary of Astronomy
The study of objects lying beyond the Solar System in the photon energy band 100 to 100 000 electronvolts (corresponding to wavelengths from 12 nanometers (nm) to 0.012 nm). X-ray observations are now an integral part of astronomy, relating particularly to galactic and extragalactic systems where…
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Full text Article X-ray astronomy

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Study of astronomical objects and phenomena that emit radiation at X-ray wavelengths. Because Earth’s atmosphere absorbs most X-rays, X-ray telescopes and detectors are taken to high altitudes or into space by balloons and spacecraft. In 1949 detectors aboard sounding rockets showed that the Sun…
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Full text Article X-ray astronomy

From Astronomy Encyclopedia
X-ray astronomy This Chandra X-ray Observatory...
Study of energetic processes and extreme physical conditions - high temperatures, winds and accretion disks, neutron stars and black holes. X-rays are generated by several environments: hot gas with a temperature greater than 1,000,000 K will emit radiation through atomic lines and thermal…
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Full text Article X-ray astronomy

From Science Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of Space and Astronomy
Source: Infobase Learning.
X-ray astronomy is the most advanced of the three general disciplines associated with high-energy astrophysics, namely, X-ray, gamma-ray, and cosmic ray astronomy. Since Earth's atmosphere absorbs most of the X-rays coming from celestial phenomena, astronomers must use high-altitude balloon…
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Full text Article X-ray astronomy

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
study of celestial objects by means of the X rays they emit, in the wavelength range from 0.01 to 10 nanometers. X-ray astronomy dates to 1949 with the discovery that the sun emits X rays. Since X rays could not be observed from ground-based telescopes, V-2 rockets launched from White Sands, N.Mex., …
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Full text Article X-ray astronomy

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Detection of X-rays from intensely hot gas in the universe. Such X-rays are prevented from reaching the Earth's surface by the atmosphere, so detectors must be placed in rockets and satellites. The first celestial X-ray source, Scorpius X-1, was discovered by a rocket flight in 1962. Since 1970, …
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Full text Article X-ray astronomy

From The Penguin Dictionary of Physics
The study of X-ray emission from astronomical sources both in and beyond our Galaxy. Since X-rays are absorbed by the earth's atmosphere, observations must be made at altitudes above about 150 km using instruments mounted in satellites, rockets, and balloons. The X-rays may be THERMAL RADIATION…
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Full text Article X-RAY ASTRONOMY

From Gaither's Dictionary of Scientific Quotations
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Full text Article X-Ray Astronomy

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
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Full text Article X-ray astronomy

From Collins English Dictionary
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