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Artist conception of the Suzaku Observatory
Credit: JAXA; NASA


Suzaku Completes its Scientific Mission

Suzaku, Japan's fifth X-ray satellite observatory, was launched July 10, 2005. Suzaku was a powerful X-ray observatory that provided astronomers the ability to probe the X-ray sky in the broad energy range of 0.2 - 600 keV. Suzaku science highlights include detailed studies of the chemical composition of the hot gas in clusters of galaxies; discovery of strange pulsations in a white dwarf binary system; examination of the high-energy radiation from the center of the Milky Way; placing important constraints on the epoch of iron production in the Universe; and identifying the mysterious "Voorwerp" lurking in intergalactic space. Since June 1, communications with the spacecraft had become intermittent, and on August 26, 2015, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency decided to declare Suzaku's science mission complete. Suzaku's data archive, however, provides a treasure trove for astronomical discovery far into the future, and stands as a living testament to Suzaku's science achievements.
Published: August 31, 2015


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Page Author: Dr. Michael F. Corcoran
Last modified Tuesday, 27-Feb-2024 10:13:31 EST