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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-chandra-xray

What kind of light does NASA's Chandra observatory study?

X-rays from very hot, high-energy objects in space.

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  1. Visible light
  2. Infrared light
  3. X-rays ✔

Why: Chandra is an X-ray observatory. Earth's air blocks X-rays, so telescopes that study them must work from space.

Huh, didn't know that: X-rays carry so much energy that they would pass right into a normal mirror, so Chandra's mirrors catch them at a glancing angle.

The dad joke
Why did the doctor want to hire Chandra? It already had years of X-ray experience.
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References

Answer: X-rays. Chandra is an X-ray observatory. Earth's air blocks X-rays, so telescopes that study them must work from space.

  1. NASA Science, Chandra X-ray Observatory science.nasa.gov/mission/chandra
    Detect X-ray emissions.
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. NASA Science, Chandra X-ray Observatory science.nasa.gov/mission/chandra
    X-ray photons penetrate into a mirror much as bullets slam into a wall.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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