X-ray telescope
High-energy light collector
An X-ray telescope is an instrument designed to detect X-ray emissions from celestial objects—stars, galaxies, black holes, and other high-energy phenomena.
Because Earth's atmosphere absorbs X-rays, these telescopes must operate in space.
Unlike optical telescopes that use lenses or mirrors to focus visible light, X-ray telescopes use specially angled mirrors that deflect X-rays at grazing incidence.
- Compton scatteringPhoton-electron inelastic collision
- observatoryFacility for celestial study
- satelliteOrbiting celestial body
- spaceUnoccupied area or interval
- astrophysicsPhysics of celestial bodies
astronomy · balloons · deep space · imaging · supernova remnant · exploration · radiation · wavelengths · detection · space probe · spectroscopy · discovery · spectrometer · neutron star · spacecraft · Chandra · orbital mechanics · black hole
X-ray, telescope, ray, rays, rayed, raying, telescopes, telescopic, telescoped