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EXOSAT
The European X-ray Observatory Satellite The EXOSAT satellite was operational from May 1983 until April 1986 and in that time made 1780 observations in the X-ray band of most classes of astronomical object. The payload consisted of three instruments that produced spectra, images and light curves in various energy bands. Two LE Low-Energy Imaging Telescopes, each with a CMA channel-multiplier array at the focus, were sensitive over the energy range 0.05 - 2 keV and used passband filters to obtain coarse spectral information. The insertion of a diffraction grating into the beam gave high-resolution TGS spectra capable of resolving emission-line complexes. These telescopes provided the first detailed observations in the EUV between 100 and 300 Å. The Medium-Energy ME instrument consisted of an array of proportional counters with a total area of 1600 cm² that gave moderate spectral resolution in the 1 - 50 keV band. A factor of two better spectral resolution over the 2 - 20 keV band was provided by the GSPC Gas-Scintillation Proportional Counter with a collecting area of 100 cm².
We are happy to announce the availability of a new EXOSAT Science Archive developed by the Science Archives and vO Team at ESA/ESAC . Images, spectra and light curves are available now through this new tool, driven by ESA's new archive technology, for astronomers to complement modern X-ray studies with historical measurements. This new facility will improve, we hope, the access to EXOSAT data, as it provides additional capabilities to search for and visualize data. |
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