x-ray astronomy

x-ray astronomy

n.

The branch of astronomy that deals with the origin and nature of emissions from extraterrestrial sources in the x-ray range of electromagnetic radiation rather than in the visible range.

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x-ray astronomy

The study of celestial objects by measurement of the x-rays they emit. Because the Earth's atmosphere absorbs x-rays, x-ray detectors are usually carried into space on satellites. X-rays are emitted by high-energy objects such as active galactic nuclei, supernova remnants, x-ray binary stars, neutron stars, and the regions around black holes. Objects which do not produce their own x-rays can reflect radiation from nearby stars, making it possible to study the objects using x-ray astronomy; one notable example of this is the analysis of solar x-rays reflected by the Moon.