X-ray Telescopes and Mirrors
X-ray telescopes (XRTs) have varying directionality or imaging ability based on glancing angle reflection rather than refraction or large deviation reflection. This limits them to much narrower fields of view than visible or UV telescopes. The mirrors can be made of ceramic or metal foil.
The first X-ray telescope in astronomy is used to observe the Sun. The first X-ray picture of the Sun is taken in 1963, by a rocket-borne telescope.
The utilization of X-ray mirrors for extrasolar X-ray astronomy simultaneously requires:
- the ability to determine the location at the arrival of an X-ray photon in two dimensions and
- a reasonable detection efficiency.
Read more about this topic: X-ray Astronomy
Famous quotes containing the word mirrors:
“At bottom, man mirrors himself in things; he considers everything beautiful that reflects his own image: the judgment “beautiful” is the vanity of his species.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)