BEIJING: China’s space telescope Einstein Probe (EP) sent back X-ray images of the moon from space on Tuesday, China Media Group (CMG) reports.
Tuesday is the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important traditional holidays for Chinese people. The X-ray image provides a unique view of the moon.
The images were captured by the Fengxingtian X-ray telescope (FXT) aboard the EP satellite. The image capture was the first time Chinese scientists obtained a comprehensive X-ray scan of the moon with an independently developed space telescope.
Before Tuesday, only the then-decommissioned German X-ray space observatory called the Roentgen Satellite or ROSAT and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory had imaged the moon.
Compared to other X-ray satellites currently in operation internationally, the FXT has a larger field of view, allowing it to capture the supermoon. Additionally, its superior X-ray energy resolution and high effective area enable it to reveal the distribution of lunar surface elements such as oxygen, iron, magnesium, aluminum and silicon.
“The EP satellite has huge potential for a broader range of detection targets and promising applications,” said Yuan Weimin, the chief scientist associated with the satellite.
“The X-ray images of the lunar surface captured by the FXT are of significant value for conducting scientific research related to the moon,” Yuan said.
Launched in January 2024, the satellite was primarily used for discovering high-energy transients and monitoring variable objects in the soft X-ray band. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
