X-ray telescope

An astronomical instrument that collects and focuses X-rays from celestial objects, usually with grazing-incidence mirrors because ordinary mirrors absorb X-rays.

Grazing incidence: Reflection at a shallow angle between an incoming ray and a surface. X-ray mirrors reflect photons only when they strike their surfaces at shallow angles.
Chandra X-ray Observatory: A NASA space observatory launched in 1999 that images the universe in X-rays. Chandra demonstrates how high-resolution mirrors can distinguish structures in distant X-ray sources.
X-ray astronomy: The study of astronomical objects and processes through their emitted or absorbed X-rays. X-ray telescopes are the principal instruments for observing this otherwise inaccessible wavelength band.
Visible-light telescope: An astronomical instrument that collects and focuses visible wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. Visible-light mirrors can use near-normal reflection, unlike X-ray mirrors' shallow-angle geometry.
Wolter telescope: A reflecting telescope design that focuses X-rays through successive reflections from nested curved mirrors. Most imaging X-ray telescopes use Wolter-type mirrors to focus incoming photons.
XMM-Newton: An ESA X-ray observatory launched in 1999, designed for sensitive spectroscopy and imaging. Its large collecting area enables detailed studies of faint and spectrally complex sources.
Riccardo Giacconi: An Italian-American astrophysicist whose work helped establish observational X-ray astronomy. His pioneering rocket experiments and instrument designs helped make astronomical X-ray imaging possible.
Radio telescope: An instrument that detects and measures radio waves from astronomical sources. Radio telescopes use antennas and often large parabolic dishes rather than grazing-incidence mirror shells.
X-ray optics: The study and technology of directing, focusing, and analyzing X-rays. X-ray telescopes are a major application of optics designed for short-wavelength radiation.
NuSTAR: A NASA space telescope that focuses high-energy X-rays using multilayer-coated mirrors. NuSTAR extends focusing X-ray astronomy to harder photons than earlier focusing missions.

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