A joint China-European X-ray telescope mission has given humans a widescreen view of the universe, much like a lobster.
The Einstein probe, a collaboration between the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the European Space Agency, Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), and the French Center National Space Research (CNES), has designed a telescope that mimics the vision of a lobster. , live science report.
The spacecraft, launched on January 9th by a Chinese rocket, is in test phase in orbit around Earth. The groundbreaking observations were presented at a recent symposium in Beijing.
Astronomy by China’s Einstein Probe (EP) #satelliteIt was launched in January this year and captured the first in-orbit detection images. With new X-ray detection techniques for observing cosmic transients, EP has so far detected 17 X-ray transients and 127 stellar flares. #Chinatech pic.twitter.com/l3xMiWcHgS
— China Science (@ChinaScience) April 28, 2024
“They show the satellite’s full potential and show that its new optics, which mimic a lobster’s eye, are ready to monitor the X-ray sky.” “We zoomed in on famous celestial objects and gave us a hint of what this mission could do,” the European Space Agency said. announced.
The use of crustacean vision rather than a model based on human vision is explained by Live Science as follows:
The human eye works on the principle of refraction through the lens, or cornea. Lobsters, on the other hand, use reflexes. Their eyes are a complex of small tubes arranged as square holes parallel to the surface of the eye, with each tube pointing in a different direction. Light enters the tube and is reflected to the retina. Human vision is about 120 degrees, but the lobster has his 180 degree panoramic vision.
“We are delighted to see the first observations from the Einstein spacecraft, which will study a large area of the X-ray sky and rapidly discover new celestial sources,” said European Space Agency Director of Science Carol Mandel. This proves the capabilities of this mission.”
“These early data give us an intriguing glimpse of a high-energy, dynamic universe that will soon be within reach of our scientific community.”
“We have already been able to perform punctual follow-up observations using the fast That’s surprising,” he added. First discovered by WXT. ”
“This shows what the Einstein probe can do during an investigation,” he added.
The investigation will continue for three years and is expected to begin in June after testing is completed.
