Credits: NASA/NICER",
"items": [
{
"id": 239269,
"type": "media",
"extra_data": null,
"title": null,
"caption": null,
"instance": {
"id": 395593,
"url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013200/a013214/NICERNightMoveslabels.jpg",
"filename": "NICERNightMoveslabels.jpg",
"media_type": "Image",
"alt_text": "This image of the whole sky shows 22 months of X-ray data recorded by NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) payload aboard the International Space Station during its nighttime slews between targets. NICER frequently observes targets best suited to its core mission (“mass-radius” pulsars) and those whose regular pulses are ideal for the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) experiment. One day they could form the basis of a GPS-like system for navigating the solar system.Credits: NASA/NICER",
"width": 3299,
"height": 1650,
"pixels": 5443350
}
}
],
"extra_data": {}
},
{
"id": 323555,
"url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13214/#media_group_323555",
"widget": "Basic text with HTML",
"title": "",
"caption": "",
"description": "In this image, numerous sweeping arcs seem to congregate at various bright regions. You may wonder: What is being shown? Air traffic routes? Information moving around the global internet? Magnetic fields looping across active areas on the Sun?
In fact, this is a map of the entire sky in X-rays recorded by NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), a payload on the International Space Station. NICER’s primary science goals require that it target and track cosmic sources as the station orbits Earth every 93 minutes. But when the Sun sets and night falls on the orbital outpost, the NICER team keeps its detectors active while the payload slews from one target to another, which can occur up to eight times each orbit.
The map includes data from the first 22 months of NICER’s science operations. Each arc traces X-rays, as well as occasional strikes from energetic particles, captured during NICER’s night moves. The brightness of each point in the image is a result of these contributions as well as the time NICER has spent looking in that direction. A diffuse glow permeates the X-ray sky even far from bright sources.
The prominent arcs form because NICER often follows the same paths between targets. The arcs converge on bright spots representing NICER’s most popular destinations -- the locations of important X-ray sources the mission regularly monitors.
Even with minimal processing, this image reveals the Cygnus Loop, a supernova remnant about 90 light-years across and thought to be 5,000 to 8,000 years old. NICER is gradually building up a new X-ray image of the whole sky, and it’s possible NICER’s nighttime sweeps will uncover previously unknown sources.
NICER’s primary mission is to determine the size of dead stars called neutron stars -- some of which we see as pulsars -- to a precision of 5%. These measurements will finally allow physicists to solve the mystery of what form of matter exists in their incredibly compressed cores. Pulsars, rapidly spinning neutron stars that appear to “pulse” bright light, are ideally suited to this “mass-radius” research and are some of NICER’s regular targets.
Other frequently visited pulsars are studied as part of NICER's Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) experiment, which uses the precise timing of pulsar X-ray pulses to autonomously determine NICER’s position and speed in space. It’s essentially a galactic GPS system. When mature, this technology will enable spacecraft to navigate themselves throughout the solar system -- and beyond.",
"items": [],
"extra_data": {}
},
{
"id": 323557,
"url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13214/#media_group_323557",
"widget": "Single image",
"title": "",
"caption": "",
"description": "Unlabeled version of above.
Credits: NASA/NICER", "items": [ { "id": 239270, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 395594, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013200/a013214/NICERNightMovesnolabels.jpg", "filename": "NICERNightMovesnolabels.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Unlabeled version of above.Credits: NASA/NICER", "width": 3299, "height": 1650, "pixels": 5443350 } }, { "id": 239271, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 395595, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013200/a013214/NICERNightMovesnolabels_searchweb.png", "filename": "NICERNightMovesnolabels_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Unlabeled version of above.Credits: NASA/NICER", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 239272, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 395596, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013200/a013214/NICERNightMovesnolabels_thm.png", "filename": "NICERNightMovesnolabels_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Unlabeled version of above.Credits: NASA/NICER", "width": 80, "height": 40, "pixels": 3200 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 323558, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13214/#media_group_323558", "widget": "Basic text", "title": "For More Information", "caption": "", "description": "See [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/nicer-s-night-moves-trace-the-x-ray-sky](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/nicer-s-night-moves-trace-the-x-ray-sky)", "items": [], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "gms", "funding_sources": [ "NASA Astrophysics" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Science writer", "people": [ { "name": "Francis Reddy", "employer": "University of Maryland College Park" } ] }, { "role": "Principal investigator", "people": [ { "name": "Keith C. Gendreau", "employer": "NASA/GSFC" } ] }, { "role": "Public affairs officer", "people": [ { "name": "Claire Saravia", "employer": "NASA/GSFC" } ] }, { "role": "Deputy principal investigator", "people": [ { "name": "Zaven Arzoumanian", "employer": "USRA" } ] } ], "missions": [ "Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER)" ], "series": [ "Astrophysics Stills" ], "tapes": [], "papers": [], "datasets": [], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Universe" ], "keywords": [ "Ast", "Astrophysics", "Galaxy", "Neutron Star", "Pulsar", "Supernova", "Universe", "X-ray" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 13031, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13031/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NASA'S NICER Does the Space Station Twist", "description": "NICER Video with Astro and Goddard end tagsMusic: \"Frames of Motion\" from Killer TracksComplete transcript available. || NICER_ISS_Goddard.mp4 (1920x1080) [94.9 MB] || NICER_ISS_Goddard.webm (1920x1080) [9.9 MB] || NICER_ISS_Goddard_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [868 bytes] || NICER_ISS_Goddard_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [806 bytes] || ", "release_date": "2018-08-14T13:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:46:30.711553-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 401299, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013000/a013031/NICER_Still_1.jpg", "filename": "NICER_Still_1.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer\n\nInstalled aboard the International Space Station in June 2017, NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer provides high-precision measurements of neutron stars, objects containing ultra-dense matter at the threshold of collapse into black holes. NICER will also test, for the first time in space, technology that uses pulsars as navigation beacons.\n\n For more information visit the NICER website.", "width": 1080, "height": 1920, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 12630, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12630/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NICER Mission Overview", "description": "The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) payload, destined for the exterior of the space station, will study the physics of neutron stars, providing new insight into their nature and behavior. These stars are called “pulsars” because of the unique way they emit light – in a beam similar to a lighthouse beacon. As the star spins, the light sweeps past us, making it appear as if the star is pulsing. Neutron stars emit X-ray radiation, enabling the NICER technology to observe and record information about their structure, dynamics and energetics. The payload also includes a technology demonstration called the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) which will help researchers to develop a pulsar-based space navigation system. Pulsar navigation could work similarly to GPS on Earth, providing precise position and time for spacecraft throughout the solar system.The 2-in-1 mission launched on June 3, 2017 aboard SpaceX's eleventh contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station. The payload arrived at the space station in the Dragon spacecraft, along with other cargo, on June 5, 2017. || ", "release_date": "2017-06-01T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:47:37.170120-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 413817, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a012600/a012630/NICER-overview-cover_print.jpg", "filename": "NICER-overview-cover_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Music credit: Killer Tracks, Shifting Reality", "width": 1024, "height": 575, "pixels": 588800 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }