Swift’s Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope shows before and after images of supernova SN 2014J, which occurred 12…
Browsing: NASA Swift Satellite
The NASA Swift Satellite, officially named the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, is a space-based observatory launched in November 2004. It is dedicated to studying gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most energetic and luminous events in the universe, which occur when massive stars collapse or when neutron stars or black holes merge. Swift’s multi-wavelength approach allows it to capture data across gamma-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical spectra, providing comprehensive observations of GRBs and their afterglows. The observatory quickly and autonomously swivels to observe gamma-ray bursts within seconds of detection by its Burst Alert Telescope, then continues detailed observations with its other onboard instruments, the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT). This capacity for rapid response and broad spectral coverage has made Swift crucial for advancing our understanding of the origins and mechanics of gamma-ray bursts and their implications for cosmology.
New data from NASA’s Swift spacecraft have led to the discovery of a rare subclass…
Astronomers detail the magnetic fields at the heart of GRB 120308A, which was detected by…
Observations from NASA’s Swift X-ray Telescope have revealed that the rotation of neutron star 1E…
NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and Swift satellite viewed gamma-ray burst 130427A, which produced the…
In three new studies, astronomers discuss the three unusually long-lasting stellar explosions that were discovered…