Do you know what the device described in the following details is used for?
It weighs about 2000 kg.
It has 5 m^2 proportional counters in all-sky as well as pointing operational mode, 5000 cm^2 ‘semiwich’ detectors with He proportional counters, to have spectro-polarimetric capabilities and a 500 cm^2 focusing detector with Silicon Drift Detectors, which will operate in the 0.5 – 30.0 keV region.
This will enable the detailed spectral, timing, and polarization studies of a large number of X-ray sources.
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25 Answers
Sounds like a telescope to me.
Is it the James – Webb space telescope?
Hint: the device functions somewhat like but is not really an optical telescope.
As @talljasperman has implicitly guessed, it’s not earthbound.
It’s not him. ;-p
I might have read wrongly, but haven’t they retired Hubble?
The primary purpose of the device is not for detecting or monitoring stellar or galactic objects, but it is pointed skyward.
It’s not really a telescope and it’s not earthbound.
Ok, not earthbound but mysteriously pointed skyward (?), acts like but isn’t a telescope…
Is it one of the SETI thingamabobs for scanning for alien communication?
It’s not looking for extraterrestrial intelligence and it’s not on the surface of any planet. If I’m not mistaken, it’s in a geostationary orbit over Earth.
What other human-made objects besides telescopes orbit this planet?
What other celestial objects are there besides asteroids, comets, planets, stars, and galaxies?
just plain old xray telescope?
It’s a satellite used for tracking black holes.
Without looking it sounds like Chandra. If it is Chandra, it’s in a crazy elliptical orbit around Earth.
It is one of NASA orbiting X-Ray observatories. Chandra has been up there since 1999. It is a science and engineering marvel.
Binoculars. Seriously big and expensive ones.
“Chandra worked closely with his students and expressed pride in the fact that over a 50-year period (from roughly 1930 to 1980), the average age of his co-author collaborators had remained the same, at around 30. He insisted that students address him as “Chandrasekhar” until they received their Ph.D. degree, after which time they (as other colleagues) were encouraged to address him as “Chandra”. Source
What about the international space station?
So, how long is this guessing game going to go on, or should I just unfollow now and save myself the frustration?
@Uasal
I tried to provide the answer here.
Here’s the link to the article containing the technical description I posted in the details. The description is on page 2, in the paragraph titled Black Hole Tracker.
Fluther pet peeve- linking to a download link without warning.
No warning because I didn’t have to download anything directly related to see the article.
Black hole tracker? Is that like a pimp or something?
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