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Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array

NuSTAR

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, mission studies the universe in high energy X-rays to better understand the dynamics of black holes, exploding stars and the most extreme active galaxies.

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NuStar Foreground

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

June 13, 2012

Type

Orbiter

Target

Stars and Galaxies

Status

Current

About the mission

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, mission studies the universe in high energy X-rays to better understand the dynamics of black holes, exploding stars and the most extreme active galaxies.

In addition to complementing astrophysics missions studying the universe in various spectra, NuSTAR, the first hard-focusing X-ray telescope to orbit Earth, is expected to greatly improve on observations from ground-based observatories.

NuSTAR science discoveries and highlights

  • First measurement of black hole spin with high precision
  • Untangling the mystery of how stars explode
  • The discovery of a shockingly bright dead star
  • Staring deep into the hidden lairs of black holes
  • Contributed to the first picture of a black hole

Mission Highlights

June 13, 2012

Launch from Kwajalein Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean
Learn more
The bulk of a galaxy called Messier 82 (M82), or the 'Cigar galaxy,' is seen in visible-light data captured by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory's 2.1-meter telescope at Kitt Peak in Arizona.

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What's Up - February 2023

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What's Up - January 2023

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NASA Gets Unusually Close Glimpse of Black Hole Snacking on Star

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What's Up - December 2022

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› Mission Website

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