What is the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory?

Compton Gamma Ray is a cosmic telescope designed to receive gamma rays, very highly energy and short -term electromagnetic radiation produced from the interactions of subatomical particles, such as the destruction of electrons and radioactive disintegration. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory started on April 5, 1991 as part of the Great Observatory NASA program. Compton was the second of the large observatories that were launched, after the Hubble Space Telescope and before the X -ray Observatory Chandra and Spitzter Space Telescope. Compton was launched at Space Shuttle Atlantis , the most difficult useful load ever launched at that time, weighing 17,000 kg (37,500 lb).

Compton used scintillars to record incoming gamma beams, released in large quantities during astronomical events called Gamma Ray Bursts, mysterious phenomena that occur with a distance of deep space, billions of light -years. Bursts Gamma Ray are very short, they only insistmilliseconds up to minutes, but during this time he can release more energy than the whole galaxy. The current theory is that gamma rays are generated when the protogalaxia collapses into supermassive black holes, the galaxy material releases its gravitational potential energy as electromagnetic radiation.

The Compton Gamma Ray observatory is known for discovering the phenomenon known as soft gamma repetitions, similar to Gamma Ray, but with less intensity and cyclic way. The current theory is that soft gamma repeats are magnetary, a type of neutron star with a powerful magnetic field. These objects release Gamma Ray nozzles from their northern and south poles. When one of these poles scores on the ground, we pick up the gamma rays.

In 1994, Compton discovered a new Teristrial Source Gamma Rays - Thunder Clouds. During the time of the Compton service, he also completed a pulsar survey and supernova remnants.