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Britannica Singapore > Encyclopedia Categories > Astronomy > Chandra X-ray Observatory

Chandra X-ray Observatory

U.S. X-ray space telescope. It was named after astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and was launched into orbit in 1999. Its mirror, with an aperture of 1.2 m (4 ft) and a focal length of 10 m (33 ft), produces unprecedented resolution. In addition to a camera, Chandra has a transmission grating, which can create high-resolution spectra in the range of 0.07–10 keV. The telescope's primary focus is black holes, supernova remnants, starburst galaxies, and other exotic objects.

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