XMM-Newton

XMM-Newton is a European Space Agency space observatory launched in 1999 to study cosmic X-rays. Its large collecting area and long observations make it especially effective at tracing variable and faint X-ray sources.

Wolter telescope: A grazing-incidence telescope design that focuses X-rays with nested, curved mirrors. XMM-Newton's three mirror modules use this design to collect and focus X-rays.
Active galactic nucleus: A galaxy's exceptionally luminous central region, powered by matter accreting onto a supermassive black hole. XMM-Newton measures the X-ray emission and variability of accreting galactic cores.
Chandra X-ray Observatory: A NASA space telescope launched in 1999, designed for exceptionally sharp X-ray imaging. Chandra offers finer angular resolution, while XMM-Newton generally collects more X-ray photons.
European Space Agency: An intergovernmental organization coordinating space activities among European member states. ESA developed and operates XMM-Newton with contributions from its member states.
EPIC: The European Photon Imaging Camera system aboard XMM-Newton, comprising two MOS cameras and one pn camera. These cameras produce most of the observatory's X-ray images and spectra.
Galaxy cluster: A gravitationally bound system of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter. Its X-ray cameras map the hot intracluster gas and help estimate cluster properties.
Einstein Observatory: The first fully imaging X-ray telescope launched into space, operated by NASA from 1978 to 1981. It established space-based X-ray imaging before XMM-Newton's much larger collecting area.
Ariane 5: A European heavy-lift launch vehicle used for satellite and spacecraft launches from 1996 to 2023. An Ariane 5 rocket placed XMM-Newton into orbit on 10 December 1999.
Reflection grating spectrometer: A dispersive X-ray spectrometer that uses reflection gratings to separate photons by wavelength. XMM-Newton's two RGS instruments resolve spectral lines from bright sources.
X-ray binary: A binary star system in which matter accretes onto a compact object and emits X-rays. Long observations track the changing X-ray emission of accreting compact stars.

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