X-ray telescope recently launched

[lpetrich]

First Light for German X-ray Telescope EROSITA - Sky & Telescope
 eROSITA -  Wolter telescope

This X-ray astronomy satellite was launched from Baikonur on July 13, and it is now in a 6-month orbit around Lagrange point L2, about 1.5 million km (0.01 AU) further from the Sun than the Earth. It made its "first light" observations over October 17 - 19, observing the Large Magellanic Cloud. It will soon be starting its main mission: to observe the entire X-ray sky over then next 4 years.

It uses 7 identical Wolter telescopes in a hexagonal pattern. Each one uses grazing-incidence mirrors to focus the X-rays onto a detector.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

First Light for German X-ray Telescope EROSITA - Sky & Telescope
 eROSITA -  Wolter telescope

This X-ray astronomy satellite was launched from Baikonur on July 13, and it is now in a 6-month orbit around Lagrange point L2, about 1.5 million km (0.01 AU) further from the Sun than the Earth. It made its "first light" observations over October 17 - 19, observing the Large Magellanic Cloud. It will soon be starting its main mission: to observe the entire X-ray sky over then next 4 years.

It uses 7 identical Wolter telescopes in a hexagonal pattern. Each one uses grazing-incidence mirrors to focus the X-rays onto a detector.

For the idiots out there, like me... here is a link for Lagrange Points.

 

[rjh01]

I wonder why they do not use pinhole cameras for X-rays instead. They can use many small ones that all point in slightly different directions.

 

[lpetrich]

I wonder why they do not use pinhole cameras for X-rays instead. They can use many small ones that all point in slightly different directions.

That has indeed been done:  Coded aperture