First images from the Einstein probe show black hole and supernova remains in X-ray – Science

The first images, released at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, show several celestial objectsincluding the central region of the Milky Way, the supermassive black hole M87 and supernova remnants, state broadcaster CCTV reported today.

Among the eleven images revealed, which show objects close to the center of the Milky Way, the supermassive black hole M87 and supernova remains, 17 new X-ray transients and 168 stellar flares stand out.

Launched in January this year, the probe is equipped with two X-ray telescopes: a wide-field telescope (WXT) and a scanning telescope (FXT).

See the images

This combination allows you to make observations over large areas while focusing on specific high-resolution events.

“The ability (of the Einstein probe) to observe almost the entire night sky in about five hours with high sensitivity makes it an ideal instrument for detecting unpredictable transient X-ray events“, said ESA project scientist Erik Kuulkers, quoted by CCTV.

A tweet from ESA on the social network X shows a little of what the probe will be able to reveal

Einstein Probe is an international collaboration project led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with the participation of the European Space Agency (ESA).from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany and the National Center for Space Studies in France.

This project adds to China’s recent space achievements, which include the landing of the Chang’e 4 probe on the far side of the Moon, the exploration of Mars and the construction of its own space station, Tiangong.

China’s space ambition continues to grow, with Tiangong potentially becoming the only functioning space stationif the International Space Station, as planned, is removed in 2030.