Observing cosmic lighthouses from the edge of space
A million cubic metre helium filled balloon lifted a 2000 kg X-ray telescope
Tid: On 2015-02-04 kl 13.15 - 14.00
Plats: Sal D3, Lindstedtsvägen 5, KTH, Stockholm
Medverkande: Professor Mark Pearce
In July 2013, a million cubic metre helium filled balloon lifted a 2000 kg X-ray telescope to an altitude of 40 km from the Esrange Space Centre in the north of Sweden. During the next 2 weeks, the balloon made an almost complete circumpolar flight. The X-ray telescope was directed towards the Crab - a spinning neutron star or "pulsar" in the constellation of Taurus. By measuring the polarisation of the X-rays emitted by the Crab a new observational window will be opened on this "cosmic lighthouse