NASA uses X-ray technology to track space explosions

With X-ray technology, NASA's US agency has built a map of stars in space. This achievement is the foundation for future astronaut navigation system.

Scientists at NASA used X-rays to build star maps.(Photo: NASA).

On NASA's spatial map shows the streaks of X-ray energy emitted from the explosion of giant stars. These explosions release large amounts of invisible X-rays with the human eye. Based on electron radiation from X-ray traces, scientists can determine the strength of the explosion as well as the location it emits.

'After a few simple analyzes based on this map, we can clearly identify the 8-year-old constellation Cygnus, 90 light-years from Earth,' said Keith Gendreau, NASA's NICER project leader. Currently, this X-ray imaging technology is the main focus of development to explore new areas of space.

NICER is the name of the device that tracks neutron stars developed by NASA, mounted outside the ISS international space station. NASA will select target star clusters and from there, the device will monitor and record the X-ray streams that the neutron star emits.

Neutron stars are seen by scientists as lighthouses in space, always emitting X-ray streams as they spin. Based on the NICER device, neutron star maps will be created and developed into GPS navigation systems for future space expeditions.