COSMOS Field
Different Flavors of Black Holes
A range of supermassive black holes lights up this new image from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. All of the dots are active black holes tucked inside the hearts of galaxies, with colors representing different energies of X-ray light.
Hand of God
High-Energy X-ray View of 'Hand of God'
Can you see the shape of a hand in this new X-ray image? The hand might look like an X-ray from the doctor's office, but it is actually a cloud of material ejected from a star that exploded.
Circinus Galaxy
Black Holes of the Circinus Galaxy
The magenta spots in this image show two black holes in the Circinus galaxy: the supermassive black hole at its heart, and a smaller one closer to the edge that belongs to a class called ultraluminous X-ray sources, or ULXs. The magenta X-ray data come from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescopic...
Topsy Turvy Galaxy
Topsy Turvy Black Holes
The magenta spots in this image show two black holes in the spiral galaxy called NGC 1313, or the Topsy Turvy galaxy. Both black holes belong to a class called ultraluminous X-ray sources, or ULXs. The magenta X-ray data come from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescopic Array (NuSTAR).
IC 751
Black Holes Shine for NuSTAR (annotated)
An optical color image of galaxies is seen here overlaid with X-ray data (magenta) from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). NuSTAR's serendipitous discovery in this field lies to the left of a galaxy, called IC 751, at which the telescope originally intended to look. Both...
IC 751
Black Holes Shine for NuSTAR
An optical color image of galaxies is seen here overlaid with X-ray data (magenta) from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). NuSTAR's serendipitous discovery in this field lies to the left of a galaxy, called IC 751, at which the telescope originally intended to look. Both...
IC 751
Black Holes Shine for NuSTAR in X-Rays
The X-ray data (magenta) from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). NuSTAR's serendipitous discovery in this field lies to the left of a galaxy, called IC 751, at which the telescope originally intended to look. Both magenta blobs show X-rays from massive black holes buried at...
Celebrating NuSTAR’s first birthday
To celebrate the one year anniversary of the successful launch of NuSTAR into orbit, scientists, friends and their families of the mission gathered at the California Institute of Technology for a birthday party.
Celebrating NuSTAR’s First Birthday
On June 13, 2013 scientists and friends of NuSTAR celebrated the first anniversary of the successful launch and deployment of the instrument.
Sculptor Galaxy
Sculptor Galaxy Shines with X-rays
The Sculptor galaxy is seen in a new light, in this composite image from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). The NuSTAR data, which appear as colored blobs, show high-energy X-rays. The NuSTAR observations are the sharpest ever taken of this galaxy in high-energy X-rays.
Sculptor Galaxy
Sculptor Galaxy Shines with X-rays
The Sculptor galaxy is seen in a new light, in this composite image from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). Visible data from the European Space Observatory show the backbone of the galaxy made up of stars, while NuSTAR data, which appear as colored blobs, show high-energy...
How to Measure the Spin of a Black Hole
This chart illustrates the basic model for determining the spin rates of black holes. The three artist's concepts represent the different types of spin: retrograde rotation, where the disk of matter falling onto the hole, called an accretion disk, moves in the opposite direction of the black...
NGC 1365
NuSTAR's Improved View
This image taken by the ultraviolet-light monitoring camera on the European Space Agency's (ESA's) XMM-Newton telescope shows the beautiful spiral arms of the galaxy NGC1365. The large regions observed by previous satellites contain so much of this background emission that the radiation from the...
Two Models of Black Hole Spin
Scientists measure the spin rates of supermassive black holes by spreading the X-ray light into different colors. The light comes from accretion disks that swirl around black holes, as shown in both of the artist's concepts.
Black Holes: Monsters in Space
This artist's concept illustrates a supermassive black hole with millions to billions times the mass of our sun. Supermassive black holes are enormously dense objects buried at the hearts of galaxies. In this illustration, the supermassive black hole at the center is surrounded by matter flowing...
IC 342
Blazing Black Holes Spotted in X-ray View of Galaxy IC 342
This new view of spiral galaxy IC 342, also known as Caldwell 5, includes data from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. The two magenta spots are blazing black holes first detected at lower-energy X-ray wavelengths by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. With NuSTAR's...
IC 342
Blazing Black Holes Spotted in Spiral Beauty
This new view of spiral galaxy IC 342, also known as Caldwell 5, includes data from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. The two magenta spots are blazing black holes first detected at lower-energy X-ray wavelengths by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. With NuSTAR's...
Cassiopea A
Sizzling X-ray Remains of a Dead Star
This new view of the historical supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, located 11,000 light-years away, was taken by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. Blue indicates the highest energy X-ray light, where NuSTAR has made the first resolved image ever of this source.
Cassiopea A
Sizzling Remains of a Dead Star
This new view of the historical supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, located 11,000 light-years away, was taken by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. Blue indicates the highest energy X-ray light, where NuSTAR has made the first resolved image ever of this source.
Sagittarius A*
Pointing X-ray Eyes at our Resident Supermassive Black Hole
NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has captured these first, focused views of the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy in high-energy X-ray light. The background image, taken in infrared light, shows the location of our Milky Way's humongous black hole, called...
Sagittarius A*
X-ray Flare at the Center of the Milky Way
NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has captured these first, focused views of the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy in high-energy X-ray light. This time series shows a flare caught by NuSTAR over an observing period of two days in July 2012.
Sagittarius A*
First Look at Milky Way's Monster in High-Energy X-ray Light
This is the first, focused high-energy X-ray view of the area surrounding the supermassive black hole, called Sagittarius A*, at the center of our galaxy. The image was taken by NASA's black-hole hunter, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR. Different X-ray energies have been...
Cygnus X-1
NuSTAR's First View of High-Energy X-ray Universe
NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has taken its first snapshots of the highest energy X-rays in the cosmos, the same kind used by doctors to take pictures of your bones. NuSTAR chose a black hole in the constellation Cygnus (shown on the left) as its first target due to its...
First Light Poster
This poster commemorates that event and was signed by the NuSTAR scientists working at University of California, Berkeley.
Pre-launch Excitement
Two of the youngest members of the extended NuSTAR team are posing in front of a to-scale model of the satellite, only minutes before launch.
The Calm Before the Launch
All eyes are fixed in anticipation on the monitor showing the NuSTAR’s launch rocket under the belly of the L-1011 carrier plane.
Cheering for Success
A packed auditorium at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) gives a thumps-up for the successful launch of NuSTAR.
Preparing the SOC for NuSTAR
Member of the NuSTAR team at the California Institute of Technology put up a large decal on the wall of the Science Operation Center.
NuSTAR
Artist's Concept of NuSTAR
Artist's concept of NuSTAR on orbit. NuSTAR has a 10-m (30') mast that deployed after launch to separate the optics modules from the detectors in the focal plane.
NuSTAR
Artist's Concept of NuSTAR
Artist's concept of NuSTAR in orbit. NuSTAR has a 10-m (30') mast that was deployed after launch to separate the optics modules from the detectors in the focal plane.
NuSTAR Arrives at Vandenberg
NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, enclosed in an environmentally controlled shipping container, is trucked by trailer to processing facility 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
NuSTAR's Carrier Plane Touches Down
The Pegasus rocket carrying NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array can be seen at the belly of its carrier plane, the "Stargazer," as it lands on Kwajalein Atoll.
Wrapping NuSTAR in Its Rocket Nose Cone
An Orbital Sciences technician completes final checks of NuSTAR, inside the Orbital Sciences processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California before the Pegasus payload fairing is secured around it.
Pegasus Rocket
The payload transporter carrying the environmentally controlled shipping container enclosing NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array is parked in the airlock at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
NuSTAR Unloading
In the airlock of processing facility 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, workers secure NuSTAR onto a handling dolly.
NuSTAR Unboxing
In the airlock at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California, a lifting fixture is employed to hoist NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array from its shipping container. NuSTAR was integrated into its Pegaus launch rocket at VAFB.
NuSTAR at OSC
The integrated NuSTAR observatory, including the instrument and spacecraft, at Orbital Sciences Corporation in Dulles, Virginia in January 2012.
NuSTAR at OSC
The integrated NuSTAR observatory, including the instrument and spacecraft, at Orbital Sciences Corporation in Dulles, Virginia on June 29, 2011.
Final Pre-Launch Mast Deployment
The final pre-launch deployment of the NuSTAR articulated mast occurred on in late 2010.
Assembly of First Optics Module
Assembly of the first NuSTAR optics module (“FM0”). NuSTAR flies two optics units, each with 133 layers of grazing incidence optics.
Slumped-Glass Optics
Niko Stergiou, a contractor at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, helped manufacture the 9,000 mirror segments that make up the optics unit in the NuSTAR mission.
Mast Deployment Test on the Ground
Essential to the NuSTAR design is a deployable mast which extended to 10 meters (30 feet) after launch. This mast separates the NuSTAR X-ray optics from the detectors, a necessity to achieve the long focal length required by the optics design.
Slumped-Glass Optics
The NuSTAR glass optics are being shaped at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) mirror development lab, led by Will Zhang.