Shaima

In the early morning hours of 9th December, Nasa will launch its Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer mission, or IXPE, to measure X-rays released by black holes and neutron stars. Scientists say IXPE will tell them more about cosmic X-ray sources than they can learn by studying their brightness and color spectrum, which will help them test and refine theories of how the universe works. The spacecraft, which is the collaborative effort of Nasa and the Italian Space Agency, carries three telescopes. The satellite will be able to see an often-overlooked aspect of cosmic ray sources called polarization. Polarized light also bears the unique stamp of its source and what it passed through on the way. While waves of light can vibrate in any direction, polarized light only vibrates in one direction. X-rays are a highly energetic wavelength of light that are born from extremes. This includes powerful magnetic fields, object collisions, explosions, scorching temperatures, and quick rotations in space. This light is practically encoded with the signature of what created it, but Earth’s atmosphere prevents X-rays from reaching the ground. This is why X-ray telescopes in space are used by scientists.