X Ray Astronomy Lab

(2 Credits)

While humans can only (by definition) see optical light, interstellar objects emit light across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. X-ray photons are emitted by some of the most energetic objects in the Universe: plasmas with temperatures of millions of degrees, and charged particles traveling nearly at the speed of light interacting with magnetic fields. In this course, students will learn about the different classes of astronomical sources, how modern satellites detect and measure the properties of X-ray photons, and how to analyze and interpret the data from such instruments.