Sign in
Science & Technology
XMM-Newton SOC Home Page - XMM-Newton
Welcome to the XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre
The European Space Agency's (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESA's second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations.
Since Earth's atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
Read more about the spacecraft, mirrors and instruments and about the XMM-Newton SOC.
News and Highlights
XMM-Newton catches giant black hole’s X-ray oscillations
The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton has detected rapidly fluctuating X-rays coming from the very edge of a supermassive black hole in the heart of a nearby galaxy. The results paint a fascinating picture that defies how we thought matter falls into such black holes, and points to a potential source of gravitational waves that ESA’s future mission, LISA, could see. XMM-Newton is showing us that black holes devour matter in more complex ways than astronomers first thought. Black holes are predictions of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity. They are gravitational monsters that imprison any piece of matter or energy that crosses their ‘surface’, a region of spacetime known as the event horizon.
Further details on ESA.int web portal and Science.nasa.gov web portal.
XMM-Newton celebrates 25 years of breakthroughs
The 25th anniversary of the XMM-Newton satellite's orbital deployment is being commemorated today. XMM-Newton is one of the most successful X-ray telescopes ever launched, with over 8,000 papers published and more than one million detections of X-ray sources:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/XMM-Newton/XMM-Newton_celebrates_25_years_of_breakthroughs.
All instruments and the spacecraft are in optimal condition and will continue to provide cutting-edge data for many more years to come.
Throughout its operational lifetime, XMM-Newton has undergone significant evolutionary and improvement processes. It is currently in an optimal position to address some of the most pivotal questions in astrophysics. XMM-Newton participates in joint programmes with ten other facilities across all wavelengths, as well as making significant contributions to multi-messenger observations.
The future of XMM-Newton is promising, thanks to its extensive user community, which includes over 1,500 observers and ensures data for 4,200 scientists involved in publishing refereed papers annually.
We would like to express our gratitude to XMM-Newton.
If you want to give your greetings to XMM-Newton, share your memories and even more important, your future plans, wishes and expectations for the next years, feel free to sign this digital card:
https://www.groupgreeting.com/sign/2f085e8d5f87113
Find below a selection of postage stamp with XMM-Newton, providing lasting evidence of XMM-Newton's popularity:
https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/stamp-gallery
Unlocking the secrets of the first Quasars: how they defy the laws of Physics to grow
New evidence has been discovered explaining how supermassive black holes formed in the first billion years of the Universe's life. The study, conducted by INAF researchers, analyses 21 distant quasars and reveals that these objects are in a phase of extremely rapid accretion. This provides valuable insights into their formation and evolution, together with that of their host galaxies.[...] The study, led by researchers of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), analyses a sample of 21 quasars, among the most distant ever discovered, observed in the X-rays band by the XMM-Newton and Chandra space telescopes.
Further details on Inaf.it web portal and Phys.org web portal.
- Removed a total of (1) style text-align:center;