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>> TO ANSWER SOME OF

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THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS

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ABOUT WHAT'S OUT THERE

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IN THE UNIVERSE

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AND WHAT IT ALL MEANS,

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WE NEED POWERFUL TELESCOPES.

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NASA UNRAVELS THE MYSTERIES

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OF THE COSMOS,

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USING OBSERVATORIES IN SPACE

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THAT STUDY DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS

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AND PROPERTIES OF LIGHT.

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THE IMAGING X-RAY

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POLARIMETRY EXPLORER, OR IXPE,

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WILL STUDY X-RAYS

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FROM SOME OF THE MOST EXTREME

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OBJECTS IN THE UNIVERSE,

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LIKE BLACK HOLES IN A NEW WAY.

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IXPE WILL LOOK AT

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A SPECIAL PROPERTY OF X-RAYS

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THAT HAS GONE MOSTLY UNEXPLORED

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UNTIL NOW,

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IS CALLED POLARIZATION.

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X-RAYS COME FROM

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THE HOTTEST PLACES

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IN THE UNIVERSE.

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IMAGINE POWERFUL EXPLOSIONS,

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VIOLENT COLLISIONS,

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AND STRONG MAGNETIC FIELDS

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CREATING CHAOS

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IN THE DARKNESS OF DEEP SPACE.

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X-RAY TELESCOPES

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CAN TRACE CLOUDS OF GAS

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HEATED TO MILLIONS OF DEGREES

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AND DETECT THE SHOWER

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OF PARTICLES FUELED BY

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A FEEDING BLACK HOLE.

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BUILDING ON THE DISCOVERIES

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OF NASA'S CHANDRA

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X-RAY OBSERVATORY

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AND OTHER SPACE TELESCOPES,

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IXPE MEASURES THE ORIENTATION

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OF X-RAYS FROM SOME OF

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THE MOST BRILLIANT

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AND BIZARRE OBJECTS IN SPACE.

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LIKE ALL FORMS OF LIGHT,

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X-RAYS CONSIST OF MOVING

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ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC WAVES.

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USUALLY, THE PEAKS AND VALLEYS

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OF THESE WAVES

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MOVE IN RANDOM DIRECTIONS.

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POLARIZED LIGHT

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IS MORE ORGANIZED,

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WITH THE TWO TYPES OF WAVES

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VIBRATING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.

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YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD

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OF POLARIZED SUNGLASSES.

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BOATERS AND FISHERMEN

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USE THESE LENSES

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TO REDUCE GLARE FROM SUNLIGHT

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ACROSS A BODY OF WATER.

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WATER REFLECTS LIGHT IN A WAY

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THAT CAUSES SOME OF IT

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TO VIBRATE IN A DIRECTION

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PARALLEL TO THE WATER'S SURFACE.

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POLARIZED LENSES BLOCK LIGHT

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MOVING HORIZONTALLY,

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BUT LET OTHER LIGHT THROUGH.

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MUCH LIKE THE WAY LIGHT CHANGES

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WHEN IT BOUNCES OFF OF WATER,

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IN SPACE,

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LIGHT BECOMES POLARIZED

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DEPENDING ON

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WHERE IT COMES FROM

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AND WHAT IT PASSES THROUGH.

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BY MEASURING THE AMOUNT

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AND DIRECTION OF POLARIZATION,

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IXPE GIVES US CLUES

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ABOUT THE SHAPES, STRUCTURES,

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AND INNERWORKINGS

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OF ALL TYPES OF OBJECTS

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THAT SHINE IN BRIGHT X-RAYS.

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THE IXPE OBSERVATORY HAS

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THREE IDENTICAL TELESCOPES,

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WITH THREE MAIN PARTS:

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MIRRORS, DETECTORS,

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AND AN EXTENDABLE MAST,

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OR BOOM,

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THAT SEPARATES THEM.

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EACH MIRROR ASSEMBLY

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CONTAINS 24 NESTED MIRRORS

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THAT COLLECT AND FOCUS X-RAYS.

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LOCATED AT THE FOCAL POINT

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OF THE MIRRORS,

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SENSITIVE DETECTORS

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MADE WITH INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS

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IN ITALY ARE THE SECRET

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BEHIND IXPE'S UNIQUE

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X-RAY VISION.

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THEY TRACK AND MEASURE

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ALL FOUR PROPERTIES

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OF INCOMING LIGHT--

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ITS ARRIVAL TIME, DIRECTION,

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ENERGY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,

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POLARIZATION.

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OVER THE TWO YEARS

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OF ITS PRIME MISSION,

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IXPE WILL OBSERVE MORE THAN

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50 BRILLIANT OBJECTS--

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LIKE THE LEFTOVERS

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OF HUGE STARS THAT EXPLODED

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INTO SUPERNOVAE.

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THE SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE

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AT THE HEART OF OUR OWN

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MILKY WAY GALAXY

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AND PULSARS, THE DENSE REMAINS

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OF STARS THAT ONCE WERE.

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THESE OBSERVATIONS

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WILL HELP SCIENTISTS

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TACKLE LONG-STANDING PUZZLES,

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LIKE TESTING COMPETING THEORIES

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ABOUT PULSARS AND THE DETAILS

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OF HOW OF EINSTEIN'S THEORY

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OF GENERAL RELATIVITY WORKS.

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NEW INSIGHTS FROM IXPE

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WILL HELP US PAINT

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A FULLER PICTURE

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OF THE UNIVERSE-

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CONFIRMING OR CONFOUNDING