<p>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday (February 13) announced that the X-ray Polarimeter (POLIX) onboard its XPoSat satellite has begun making observations and collecting data. The XPoSat was launched on January 1, 2024. The satellite is India first dedicated piece of space tech aimed at observing X-ray emissions from celestial bodies like black holes, pulsars, neutron stars and more.</p>

<p>ISRO said that POLIX has made observations that have enabled creation of pulse profile of a pulsar.</p>

<p>A pulsar is highly magnetised neutron star which spins around itself at a very high rate. As it spins, it emits beams of electromagnetic radiation.</p>

<p>XPoSat observed the Crab pulsar, located near the centre of Crab Nebula. The observations were made between January 15-18, 2024.</p>

<h2><strong>What did XPoSat observe?</strong></h2>

<p>It is known that the Crab pulsar rotates around its axis 30 times per second. As it spins, it emits X-rays in frequencies.</p>

<p>POLIX observed the emission of these X-rays and created data that was used to make a pulse profile of the Crab pulsar.</p>

<p>"The plot illustrates the time window of X-rays scattered by the Beryllium scatterer inside POLIX, originally emitted from the Crab pulsar. This plot represents the first of its kind in this energy range," said ISRO.</p>

<h2><strong>Why is XPoSat observation important?</strong></h2>

<p>ISRO has said that the very first observations made by POLIX onboard XPoSat are important as they showcase the mission's functionality and readiness for investigating pulsars, black holes and other cosmic sources of X-rays.</p>

<p>"POLIX is poised to offer unique insights and contribute to understanding the physical processes associated with Astronomical X-ray sources," says ISRO.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/for-first-time-scientists-found-traces-of-water-on-the-surface-of-an-asteroid-690198">For the first time, scientists found traces of water on the surface of an asteroid</a></strong></p>

<p>POLIX was designed and developed at Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru with support from the Indian industry.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/alien-life-existed-near-ancient-mile-deep-lake-active-volcanoes-on-mars-scientists-suggest-so-689875">Alien life existed near ancient mile-deep lake, active volcanoes on Mars? Scientists suggest so</a></strong></p>

<p>We will hear more from ISRO soon as XSPECT, the other instrument onboard XPoSat is gearing up and is ready for observations.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday (February 13) announced that the X-ray Polarimeter (POLIX) onboard its XPoSat satellite has begun making observations and collecting data.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday (February 13) announced that the X-ray Polarimeter (POLIX) onboard its XPoSat satellite has begun making observations and collecting data. The XPoSat was launched on January 1, 2024. The satellite is India first dedicated piece of space tech aimed at observing X-ray emissions from celestial bodies like black holes, pulsars, neutron stars and more. ISRO said that POLIX has made observations that have enabled creation of pulse profile of a pulsar. A pulsar is highly magnetised neutron star which spins around itself at a very high rate. As it spins, it emits beams of electromagnetic radiation. XPoSat observed the Crab pulsar, located near the centre of Crab Nebula. The observations were made between January 15-18, 2024. What did XPoSat observe? It is known that the Crab pulsar rotates around its axis 30 times per second. As it spins, it emits X-rays in frequencies. POLIX observed the emission of these X-rays and created data that was used to make a pulse profile of the Crab pulsar. "The plot illustrates the time window of X-rays scattered by the Beryllium scatterer inside POLIX, originally emitted from the Crab pulsar. This plot represents the first of its kind in this energy range," said ISRO. Why is XPoSat observation important? ISRO has said that the very first observations made by POLIX onboard XPoSat are important as they showcase the mission's functionality and readiness for investigating pulsars, black holes and other cosmic sources of X-rays. "POLIX is poised to offer unique insights and contribute to understanding the physical processes associated with Astronomical X-ray sources," says ISRO. Also Read | For the first time, scientists found traces of water on the surface of an asteroid POLIX was designed and developed at Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru with support from the Indian industry. Also Read | Alien life existed near ancient mile-deep lake, active volcanoes on Mars? Scientists suggest so We will hear more from ISRO soon as XSPECT, the other instrument onboard XPoSat is gearing up and is ready for observations. (With inputs from agencies)

XPoSat begins space observations, ISRO releases data from first find

<p>An extraordinary detection of the highest energy gamma rays from a dead star called Vela Pulsar has been made by&nbsp;scientists using the H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia, as per an international team who made the announcement on October 5 in the journal Nature Astronomy. The gamma rays emitted by the dead star&nbsp;Vela Pulsar were found to possess an astonishing energy level of 20 tera-electronvolts, equivalent to around ten trillion times the energy of visible light.</p>

<h2><strong>What are Pulsars?</strong></h2>

<p>Pulsars are remnants of massive stars that underwent explosive supernova events. These explosions leave behind tiny, dense stars with diameters of approximately 20 kilometres.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chinese-europeans-creating-incredibly-sensitive-space-telescope-for-monitoring-cosmic-explosions-643135">China's 'incredibly sensitive' space telescope will monitor universe's most violent explosions</a></p>

<p>These dead stars, primarily composed of neutrons, are incredibly dense, with just a teaspoon of their material weighing more than five billion tonnes, roughly 900 times the mass of the Great Pyramid of Giza, H.E.S.S. scientist Emma de Oña Wilhelmi, a co-author of the study, reportedly said providing insights into the Pulsar.</p>

<h2><strong>Pulsars as cosmic lighthouses</strong></h2>

<p>Pulsars emit beams of electromagnetic radiation that rotate like cosmic lighthouses. When these beams cross our solar system, we observe periodic flashes of radiation, known as pulses.</p>

<p>“On their outward journey, the electrons acquire energy and release it in the form of the observed radiation beams,” said Bronek Rudak from the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (CAMK PAN) in Poland, also a co-author.</p>

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<p>The Vela pulsar, situated in the Southern sky within the constellation Vela, is the brightest pulsar in the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and the most prominent source of cosmic gamma rays in the giga-electronvolts (GeV) range.</p>

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<p>It rotates around eleven times per second and was previously believed to cease emitting radiation above a few GeV, possibly because electrons reached the magnetosphere's edge and escaped.</p>

<p>Deep observations with H.E.S.S. unveiled a previously unknown radiation component at even higher energies, reaching tens of tera-electronvolts (TeV).&nbsp;</p>

<p>“That is about 200 times more energetic than all radiation ever detected before from this object,” said co-author Christo Venter from the North-West University in South Africa.&nbsp;</p>

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An extraordinary detection of the highest energy gamma rays from a dead star called Vela Pulsar has been made by scientists using the H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia, as per an international team who made the announcement on October 5 in the journal Nature Astronomy.

An extraordinary detection of the highest energy gamma rays from a dead star called Vela Pulsar has been made by scientists using the H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia, as per an international team who made the announcement on October 5 in the journal Nature Astronomy. The gamma rays emitted by the dead star Vela Pulsar were found to possess an astonishing energy level of 20 tera-electronvolts, equivalent to around ten trillion times the energy of visible light. What are Pulsars? Pulsars are remnants of massive stars that underwent explosive supernova events. These explosions leave behind tiny, dense stars with diameters of approximately 20 kilometres. Also Read | China's 'incredibly sensitive' space telescope will monitor universe's most violent explosions These dead stars, primarily composed of neutrons, are incredibly dense, with just a teaspoon of their material weighing more than five billion tonnes, roughly 900 times the mass of the Great Pyramid of Giza, H.E.S.S. scientist Emma de Oña Wilhelmi, a co-author of the study, reportedly said providing insights into the Pulsar. Pulsars as cosmic lighthouses Pulsars emit beams of electromagnetic radiation that rotate like cosmic lighthouses. When these beams cross our solar system, we observe periodic flashes of radiation, known as pulses. “On their outward journey, the electrons acquire energy and release it in the form of the observed radiation beams,” said Bronek Rudak from the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (CAMK PAN) in Poland, also a co-author. Also Read | Europeans would eat, not bury, their dead 15,000 years ago: Study The Vela pulsar, situated in the Southern sky within the constellation Vela, is the brightest pulsar in the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and the most prominent source of cosmic gamma rays in the giga-electronvolts (GeV) range. Watch | Meta's AI-generated stickers spark controversy, generate explicit images × It rotates around eleven times per second and was previously believed to cease emitting radiation above a few GeV, possibly because electrons reached the magnetosphere's edge and escaped. Deep observations with H.E.S.S. unveiled a previously unknown radiation component at even higher energies, reaching tens of tera-electronvolts (TeV). “That is about 200 times more energetic than all radiation ever detected before from this object,” said co-author Christo Venter from the North-West University in South Africa. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Dead star Vela Pulsar emits highest-energy gamma rays

Over two decades and multiple generations, but still, whenever a new Pulsar comes into the market, it sizzles up the Indian two-wheeler space. I've been a fan of the Pulsar since it was first launched in 2001 -- that round-headlamp streetfighter look was unmatched! But that was a teenage boy lusting. Now a professional, having been in the business of reviewing motorcycles for a while, I've never been completely satisfied with any new generation of Pulsars. We tried the new platform in the form of the Pulsar N160, which has been launched in India recently. Now you must be thinking why Bajaj introduced the N160 when the NS160 was already, and still is, in the market. As per the company, the N160 is an all-new motorcycle which is developed from scratch and is quite different from its NS160 sibling. Before the ride, Bajaj told us that it is an entry-level sports bike and should not be considered a premium commuter. So, let's test this claim.

WION Pitstop | 2022 Bajaj Pulsar N160 review

<p>There are many strange things in the Universe. From galaxies to black holes and whatnot. But pulsars are perhaps the most interesting. Pulsars from dead stars. And black widow pulsars are still an interesting sub-category.</p>

<p>Pulsars have high magnetism and they spin around themselves very very rapidly. In addition to this they emit powerful beams of X-rays and gamma rays into the space. When these emissions are in Earth's line of sight we can detect the 'pulse' which can even be of a millisecond.</p>

<p>Black widow pulsars are a rare find. These are pulsar with which companion stars are associated. Although they are called 'companion' stars, the pulsar live off them, blasting them with radiation and devouring their stellar material.</p>

<p>The pulsar and the binary system in question is named ZTF J1406+1222. This binary system has the shortest orbital period. This brings the companion star right into the line of fire of the rapidly revolving pulsar.</p>

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<p>Moreover the 'black widow' pulsar and its prey, the companion star are circling each other every 62 minutes.</p>

<p>The name of category of black widow pulsars has been derived from Black Widow Spiders. In this spider species, the mating game is most often fatal for the male spider. The female spider, after mating, eats her male companion.</p>

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There are many strange things in the Universe. From galaxies to black holes and whatnot. But pulsars are perhaps the most interesting. Pulsars from dead stars. And black widow pulsars are still an interesting sub-category.

There are many strange things in the Universe. From galaxies to black holes and whatnot. But pulsars are perhaps the most interesting. Pulsars from dead stars. And black widow pulsars are still an interesting sub-category. Pulsars have high magnetism and they spin around themselves very very rapidly. In addition to this they emit powerful beams of X-rays and gamma rays into the space. When these emissions are in Earth's line of sight we can detect the 'pulse' which can even be of a millisecond. Black widow pulsars are a rare find. These are pulsar with which companion stars are associated. Although they are called 'companion' stars, the pulsar live off them, blasting them with radiation and devouring their stellar material. The pulsar and the binary system in question is named ZTF J1406+1222. This binary system has the shortest orbital period. This brings the companion star right into the line of fire of the rapidly revolving pulsar. Also Read | Scientists find proof of 'extraterrestrial photosynthesis'. Here's what it is, how it can help us Moreover the 'black widow' pulsar and its prey, the companion star are circling each other every 62 minutes. The name of category of black widow pulsars has been derived from Black Widow Spiders. In this spider species, the mating game is most often fatal for the male spider. The female spider, after mating, eats her male companion. Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Scientists find 'black widow' pulsar that's eating a star

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