Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

Last updated

Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory
Swift Observatory spacecraft model.png
Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory
NamesExplorer-84
MIDEX-3
Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer
Mission type Gamma-ray astronomy
Operator NASA  / Pennsylvania State University
COSPAR ID 2004-047A OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 28485
Website swift.gsfc.nasa.gov
Mission duration2 years (planned) [1]
19 years, 4 months, 18 days (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftExplorer LXXXIV
Spacecraft typeSwift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer
Bus LEOStar-3
Manufacturer Spectrum Astro
Launch mass1,470 kg (3,240 lb)
Dry mass613 kg (1,351 lb)
Payload mass843 kg (1,858 lb)
Dimensions5.6 × 5.4 m (18 × 18 ft) [2]
Power1040 watts
Start of mission
Launch date20 November 2004, 17:16:01 UTC
Rocket Delta II 7320-10C (Delta 309)
Launch site Cape Canaveral, SLC-17A
Contractor Boeing Defense, Space & Security [3]
Entered service1 February 2005
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit [4]
Regime Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude 585 km (364 mi)
Apogee altitude 604 km (375 mi)
Inclination 20.60°
Period 96.60 minutes
Instruments
Burst Alert Telescope (BAT)
UltraViolet Optical Telescope (UVOT)
X-Ray Telescope (XRT)
Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission patch (transparent).png
Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer
Explorer program
←  GALEX (Explorer 83)
THEMIS (Explorer 85-89) →
 

Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, previously called the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer, is a NASA three-telescope space observatory for studying gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and monitoring the afterglow in X-ray, and UV/Visible light at the location of a burst. [5] It was launched on 20 November 2004, aboard a Delta II launch vehicle. [4] Headed by principal investigator Neil Gehrels until his death in February 2017, the mission was developed in a joint partnership between Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and an international consortium from the United States, United Kingdom, and Italy. The mission is operated by Pennsylvania State University as part of NASA's Medium Explorer program (MIDEX).

Contents

The burst detection rate is 100 per year, with a sensitivity ~3 times fainter than the BATSE detector aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The Swift mission was launched with a nominal on-orbit lifetime of two years. Swift is a NASA MIDEX (medium-class Explorer) mission. It was the third to be launched, following IMAGE and WMAP. [5]

While originally designed for the study of gamma-ray bursts, Swift now functions as a general-purpose multi-wavelength observatory, particularly for the rapid followup and characterization of astrophysical transients of all types. As of 2020, Swift received 5.5 Target of Opportunity observing proposals per day, and observes ~70 targets per day, on average. [6]

Swift was put into safe mode in March 2024 due to gyroscope noise. [7]

Overview

Swift is a multi-wavelength space observatory dedicated to the study of gamma-ray bursts. Its three instruments work together to observe GRBs and their afterglows in the gamma-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical wavebands.

Based on continuous scans of the area of the sky with one of the instrument's monitors, Swift uses momentum wheels to autonomously slew into the direction of possible GRBs. The name "Swift" is not a mission-related acronym, but rather a reference to the instrument's rapid slew capability, and the nimble swift (bird of the same name). [8] All of Swift's discoveries are transmitted to the ground and those data are available to other observatories which join Swift in observing the GRBs.

In the time between GRB events, Swift is available for other scientific investigations, and scientists from universities and other organizations can submit proposals for observations.

The Swift Mission Operation Center (MOC), where commanding of the satellite is performed, is located in State College, Pennsylvania and operated by the Pennsylvania State University and industry subcontractors. The Swift main ground station is located at the Broglio Space Center near Malindi on the coast of eastern Kenya, and is operated by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The Swift Science Data Center (SDC) and archive are located at the Goddard Space Flight Center outside Washington, D.C. The United Kingdom Swift Science Data Centre is located at the University of Leicester.

The Swift satellite bus was built by Spectrum Astro, which was later acquired by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, [9] which was in turn acquired by Orbital Sciences Corporation (now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems).

Instruments

Burst Alert Telescope (BAT)

Diagram of Burst Alert Telescope Swift's instrument - diagram of Burst Alert Telescope (BAT).jpg
Diagram of Burst Alert Telescope

The BAT detects GRB events and computes its coordinates in the sky. It covers a large fraction of the sky (over one steradian fully coded, three steradians partially coded; by comparison, the full sky solid angle is 4π or about 12.6 steradians). It locates the position of each event with an accuracy of 1 to 4 arcminutes within 15 seconds. This crude position is immediately relayed to the ground, and some wide-field, rapid-slew ground-based telescopes can catch the GRB with this information. The BAT uses a coded-aperture mask of 52,000 randomly placed 5 mm (0.20 in) lead tiles, 1 m (3 ft 3 in) above a detector plane of 32,768 4 mm (0.16 in) Cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) hard X-ray detector tiles; it is purpose-built for Swift. Energy range: 15–150 keV. [10]

X-ray Telescope (XRT)

Swift before launch Swift pre-launch.jpg
Swift before launch

The XRT [11] can take images and perform spectral analysis of the GRB afterglow. This provides more precise location of the GRB, with a typical error circle of approximately 2 arcseconds radius. The XRT is also used to perform long-term monitoring of GRB afterglow light-curves for days to weeks after the event, depending on the brightness of the afterglow. The XRT uses a Wolter Type I X-ray telescope with 12 nested mirrors, focused onto a single MOS charge-coupled device (CCD) similar to those used by the XMM-Newton EPIC MOS cameras. On-board software allows fully automated observations, with the instrument selecting an appropriate observing mode for each object, based on its measured count rate. The telescope has an energy range of 0.2–10 keV. [12]

Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT)

UVOT's "first light" image M101 combined low.jpg
UVOT's "first light" image

After Swift has slewed towards a GRB, the UVOT is used to detect an optical afterglow. The UVOT provides a sub-arcsecond position and provides optical and ultra-violet photometry through lenticular filters and low resolution spectra (170–650 nm) through the use of its optical and UV grisms. The UVOT is also used to provide long-term follow-ups of GRB afterglow lightcurves. The UVOT is based on the XMM-Newton's Optical Monitor (OM) instrument, with improved optics and upgraded onboard processing computers. [13]

On 9 November 2011, UVOT photographed the asteroid 2005 YU55 as the asteroid made a close flyby of the Earth. [14]

On 3 June 2013, UVOT unveiled a massive ultraviolet survey of the nearby Magellanic Clouds. [15]

In August 2017, UVOT imaged UV emissions from gravitational wave event GW170817 detected by LIGO & Virgo detectors. [16] [17]

Experiments

A model of the satellite Model of the Swift satellite.jpg
A model of the satellite

Burst Alert Telescope (BAT)

BAT (Burst Alert Telesope) is a gamma ray telescope, built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, uses a coded aperture to locate the source. The software to locate the source is provided by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The CdZnTe detector of 5,200 cm2 (810 sq in) area, consisting of 32,500 units of 4 × 4 × 2 mm (0.157 × 0.157 × 0.079 in), can pin-point the location of sources within 1.4 arcminutes. The energy range is 15-150 keV. [18]

Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT)

UVOT (Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope) monitors the afterglow in ultraviolet and visible light, and locates the source at an accuracy of one arcsecond. Its aperture is 30 cm (12 in), with an f-number equal to 12.7, and is backed by 2048 x 2048 photon counting CCD pixels. The source location accuracy is better than one arcsecond. [19]

X-Ray Telescope (XRT)

XRT (X-Ray Telescope) aims at the source more accurately, and monitors the afterglow in X-rays. It was built jointly by the Pennsylvania State University (PSU), the Brera Astronomical Observatory, Italy, and the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. It has a detector of area 135 cm2 (20.9 sq in) consisting of 600 x 600 pixels, and covers the energy range of 0.2-10 keV. It can locate the afterglow source at an accuracy of four arcseconds. [20]

Mission goals

The Swift mission has four key scientific objectives:

Mission history

Animation of Swift Observatory's orbit around Earth, Earth is not shown. Animation of Swift Observatory orbit around Earth.gif
Animation of Swift Observatory's orbit around Earth, Earth is not shown.

Swift was launched on 20 November 2004, at 17:16:01 UTC aboard a Delta II 7320-10C from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and reached a near-perfect orbit of 585 × 604 km (364 × 375 mi) altitude, with an inclination of 20.60°. [4]

On 4 December 2004, an anomaly occurred during instrument activation when the Thermo-Electric Cooler (TEC) Power Supply for the X-Ray Telescope did not turn on as expected. The XRT Team at University of Leicester and Pennsylvania State University were able to determine on 8 December 2004 that the XRT would be usable even without the TEC being operational. Additional testing on 16 December 2004 did not yield any further information as to the cause of the anomaly.

On 17 December 2004 at 07:28:30 UTC, the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) triggered and located on board an apparent gamma-ray burst during launch and early operations. [21] The spacecraft did not autonomously slew to the burst since normal operation had not yet begun, and autonomous slewing was not yet enabled. Swift had its first GRB trigger during a period when the autonomous slewing was enabled on 17 January 2005, at about 12:55 UTC. It pointed the XRT telescope to the on-board computed coordinates and observed a bright X-ray source in the field of view. [22]

On 1 February 2005, the mission team released the first light picture of the UVOT instrument and declared Swift operational.

By May 2010, Swift had detected more than 500 GRBs. [23]

By October 2013, Swift had detected more than 800 GRBs. [24]

On 27 October 2015, Swift detected its 1,000th GRB, an event named GRB 151027B and located in the constellation Eridanus. [25]

On 10 January 2018, NASA announced that the Swift spacecraft had been renamed the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in honor of mission PI Neil Gehrels, who died in early 2017. [26] [27]

Swift entered safe mode on March 15, 2024 and was not conducting science. A software patch for two-gyroscope mode was developed, uplinked and tested in April 2024, and Swift returned to nominal operations at that point. [28]

Notable detections

GRB 080319B, one of the brightest astronomical events ever detected, seen in X-ray and visible/UV light. GRB 080319B.jpg
GRB 080319B, one of the brightest astronomical events ever detected, seen in X-ray and visible/UV light.
GRB 151027B, the 1000th GRB detected by Swift. GRB 151027B in X-ray, UV and visible light.jpg
GRB 151027B, the 1000th GRB detected by Swift.
All-sky map of GRBs detected by Swift between 2004 and 2015. GRBs detected by Swift, 2004-2015.jpg
All-sky map of GRBs detected by Swift between 2004 and 2015.
Illustration of a brown dwarf combined with a graph of light curves from OGLE-2015-BLG-1319: Ground-based data (grey), Swift (blue), and Spitzer (red) PIA21076 Brown Dwarf Microlensing (Illustration), Figure 1.jpg
Illustration of a brown dwarf combined with a graph of light curves from OGLE-2015-BLG-1319: Ground-based data (grey), Swift (blue), and Spitzer (red)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamma-ray burst</span> Flashes of gamma rays from distant galaxies

In gamma-ray astronomy, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies, described by NASA as "the most powerful class of explosions in the universe". They are the most energetic and luminous electromagnetic events since the Big Bang. Bursts can last from ten milliseconds to several hours. After an initial flash of gamma rays, a longer-lived "afterglow" is usually emitted at longer wavelengths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope</span> Space telescope for gamma-ray astronomy launched in 2008

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, formerly called the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), is a space observatory being used to perform gamma-ray astronomy observations from low Earth orbit. Its main instrument is the Large Area Telescope (LAT), with which astronomers mostly intend to perform an all-sky survey studying astrophysical and cosmological phenomena such as active galactic nuclei, pulsars, other high-energy sources and dark matter. Another instrument aboard Fermi, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, is being used to study gamma-ray bursts and solar flares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compton Gamma Ray Observatory</span> NASA space observatory designed to detect X-rays and gamma rays (1991–2000)

The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was a space observatory detecting photons with energies from 20 keV to 30 GeV, in Earth orbit from 1991 to 2000. The observatory featured four main telescopes in one spacecraft, covering X-rays and gamma rays, including various specialized sub-instruments and detectors. Following 14 years of effort, the observatory was launched from Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-37 on April 5, 1991, and operated until its deorbit on June 4, 2000. It was deployed in low Earth orbit at 450 km (280 mi) to avoid the Van Allen radiation belt. It was the heaviest astrophysical payload ever flown at that time at 16,300 kilograms (35,900 lb).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzaku (satellite)</span> Satellite

Suzaku was an X-ray astronomy satellite developed jointly by the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science at JAXA and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to probe high energy X-ray sources, such as supernova explosions, black holes and galactic clusters. It was launched on 10 July 2005 aboard the M-V launch vehicle on the M-V-6 mission. After its successful launch, the satellite was renamed Suzaku after the mythical Vermilion bird of the South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Coordinates Network</span> System distributing location information about gamma-ray bursts

The General Coordinates Network (GCN), formerly known as the Gamma-ray burst Coordinates Network, is an open-source platform created by NASA to receive and transmit alerts about astronomical transient phenomena. This includes neutrino detections by observatories such as IceCube or Super-Kamiokande, gravitational wave events from the LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA interferometers, and gamma-ray bursts observed by Fermi, Swift or INTEGRAL. One of the main goals is to allow for follow-up observations of an event by other observatories, in hope to observe multi-messenger events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Gehrels</span> American astrophysicist

Cornelis A. "Neil" Gehrels was an American astrophysicist specializing in the field of gamma-ray astronomy. He was Chief of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) from 1995 until his death, and was best known for his work developing the field from early balloon instruments to today's space observatories such as the NASA Swift mission, for which he was the principal investigator. He was leading the WFIRST wide-field infrared telescope forward toward a launch in the mid-2020s. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GRB 060614</span> June 2006 Gamma-ray burst in the constellation Indus

GRB 060614 was a gamma-ray burst detected by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory on June 14, 2006, with peculiar properties. It challenged a previously held scientific consensus on gamma-ray burst progenitors and black holes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HETE 2</span> NASA satellite of the Explorer program

High Energy Transient Explorer 2 was a NASA astronomical satellite with international participation. The satellite bus for the first HETE-1 was designed and built by AeroAstro, Inc. of Herndon, Virginia and was lost during launch on 4 November 1996; the replacement satellite, HETE-2 was built by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) based on the original HETE design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GRB 970508</span> Gamma-ray burst detected on May 8, 1997

GRB 970508 was a gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected on May 8, 1997, at 21:42 UTC; it is historically important as the second GRB with a detected afterglow at other wavelengths, the first to have a direct redshift measurement of the afterglow, and the first to be detected at radio wavelengths.

The history of gamma-ray began with the serendipitous detection of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) on July 2, 1967, by the U.S. Vela satellites. After these satellites detected fifteen other GRBs, Ray Klebesadel of the Los Alamos National Laboratory published the first paper on the subject, Observations of Gamma-Ray Bursts of Cosmic Origin. As more and more research was done on these mysterious events, hundreds of models were developed in an attempt to explain their origins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GRB 090423</span> Gamma-ray burst detected in 2009

GRB 090423 was a gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected by the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission on April 23, 2009, at 07:55:19 UTC whose afterglow was detected in the infrared and enabled astronomers to determine that its redshift is z = 8.2, making it one of the most distant objects detected at that time with a spectroscopic redshift.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamma-ray astronomy</span> Observational astronomy performed with gamma rays

Gamma-ray astronomy is the astronomical observation of gamma rays, the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, with photon energies above 100 keV. Radiation below 100 keV is classified as X-rays and is the subject of X-ray astronomy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beethoven Burst (GRB 991216)</span> Gamma-ray burst in constellation Orion

GRB 991216, nicknamed the Beethoven Burst by Dr. Brad Schaefer of Yale University, was a gamma-ray burst observed on December 16, 1999, coinciding with the 229th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's birth. A gamma-ray burst is a highly luminous flash associated with an explosion in a distant galaxy and producing gamma rays, the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, and often followed by a longer-lived "afterglow" emitted at longer wavelengths.

GRB 020813 was a gamma-ray burst (GRB) that was detected on 13 August 2002 at 02:44 UTC. A gamma-ray burst is a highly luminous flash associated with an explosion in a distant galaxy and producing gamma rays, the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, and often followed by a longer-lived "afterglow" emitted at longer wavelengths.

GRB 011211 was a gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected on December 11, 2001. A gamma-ray burst is a highly luminous flash associated with an explosion in a distant galaxy and producing gamma rays, the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, and often followed by a longer-lived "afterglow" emitted at longer wavelengths.

GRB 070714B was a gamma-ray burst (GRB) that was detected on 14 July 2007 at 04:59 UTC. A gamma-ray burst is a highly luminous flash associated with an explosion in a distant galaxy and producing gamma rays, the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, and often followed by a longer-lived "afterglow" emitted at longer wavelengths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GRB 101225A</span> Gamma-ray burst event of December 25, 2010

GRB 101225A, also known as the "Christmas burst", was a cosmic explosion first detected by NASA's Swift observatory on Christmas Day 2010. The gamma-ray emission lasted at least 28 minutes, which is unusually long. Follow-up observations of the burst's afterglow by the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories were unable to determine the object's distance using spectroscopic methods.

The Livermore Optical Transient Imaging System, or LOTIS, is an automated telescope designed to slew very rapidly to the location of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), to enable the simultaneous measurement of optical counterparts. Since GRBs can occur anywhere in the sky, are often poorly localized, and fade very quickly, this implies very rapid slewing and a wide field of view. To achieve the needed response time, LOTIS was fully automated and connected via Internet socket to the Gamma-ray Burst Coordinates Network. This network analyzes telemetry from satellite such as HETE-2 and Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission and delivers GRB coordinate information in real-time. The optics were built from 4 commercial tele-photo lenses of 11 cm aperture, with custom 2048 X 2048 CCD cameras, and could view a 17.6 X 17.6 degree field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GRB 130427A</span>

GRB 130427A was a record-setting gamma-ray burst, discovered starting on April 27, 2013. This GRB was associated to SN 2013cq, of which the appearance of optical signal was predicted on May 2, 2013 and detected on May 13, 2013. The Fermi space observatory detected a gamma-ray with an energy of at least 94 billion electron volts. It was simultaneously detected by the Burst Alert Telescope aboard the Swift telescope and was the brightest burst Swift had ever detected. It was one of the five closest GRBs, at about 3.6 billion light-years away, and was comparatively long-lasting.

Fermi's Large Area Telescope (LAT) recorded one gamma ray with an energy of at least 94 billion electron volts (GeV), or some 35 billion times the energy of visible light, and about three times greater than the LAT's previous record. The GeV emission from the burst lasted for hours, and it remained detectable by the LAT for the better part of a day, setting a new record for the longest gamma-ray emission from a GRB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GRB 221009A</span> Gamma-ray burst

GRB 221009A also known as Swift J1913.1+1946 was an extraordinarily bright and long-lasting gamma-ray burst (GRB) jointly discovered by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope on October 9, 2022. The gamma-ray burst was around seven minutes long, but was detectable for more than ten hours following initial detection, and for several hours was bright enough in visible frequencies to be observable by amateur astronomers. Despite being around two billion light-years away, it was powerful enough to affect Earth's atmosphere, having the strongest effect ever recorded by a gamma-ray burst on the planet. The peak luminosity of GRB 221009A was measured by Konus-Wind to be ~ 2.1 × 1047 J/s and by Fermi-GBM to be ~ 1.0 × 1047 J/s over the 1.024s interval. A burst as energetic and as close to Earth as 221009A is thought to be a once-in-10,000-year event. It was the brightest and most energetic gamma-ray burst ever recorded, being deemed the "BOAT", or brightest of all time.

References

  1. ↑ "NASA Swift Mission Extended for 4 More Years". Omitron. Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
  2. ↑ "Swift Facts and FAQ". Sonoma State University. 28 March 2008. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "Swift Explorer" (PDF). NASA. 1 November 2004. Retrieved 18 December 2016.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. 1 2 3 "Trajectory: Swift (Explorer 84) 2004-047A". NASA. Retrieved 14 January 2018.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  5. 1 2 "Display: SWIFT (Explorer 84) 2004-047A". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  6. ↑ "Swift Mission Operations Center". PSU. 27 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. ↑ "The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory". swift.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  8. ↑ "Swift Guest Investigator Program Frequently Asked Questions". NASA. 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2009.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  9. ↑ Taylor, Ed (6 October 2011). "Launch of a satellite made by the General Dynamics C4 Systems delayed". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  10. ↑ "Swift's Burst Alert Telescope (BAT)". NASA. 28 February 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2009.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  11. ↑ Burrows, David N.; et al. (October 2005). "The Swift X-Ray Telescope". Space Science Reviews. 120 (3–4): 165–195. arXiv: astro-ph/0508071 . Bibcode:2005SSRv..120..165B. doi:10.1007/s11214-005-5097-2. S2CID   54003617.
  12. ↑ "Swift's X-Ray Telescope (XRT)". NASA. 15 August 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2009.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  13. ↑ "Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT)". NASA. 14 December 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2009.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  14. ↑ "Swift Captures Flyby of Asteroid 2005 YU55". NASA. 11 November 201. Retrieved 22 November 2011.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  15. ↑ "NASA's Swift Produces Best Ultraviolet Maps of the Nearest Galaxies". NASA. 3 June 2013.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  16. ↑ NASA Missions Catch First Light from a Gravitational-Wave Event 2017 PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  17. 1 2 Evans, P. A. (16 October 2017). "Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: detection of a blue kilonova". Science. 358 (6370): 1565–1570. arXiv: 1710.05437 . Bibcode:2017Sci...358.1565E. doi:10.1126/science.aap9580. PMID   29038371. S2CID   4028270.
  18. ↑ "Experiment: Burst Alert Telescope (BAT)". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  19. ↑ "Experiment: Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT)". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  20. ↑ "Experiment: X-Ray Telescope (XRT)". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  21. ↑ "GRB041217: The First GRB Located On-Board Swift". NASA. 17 December 2004. Retrieved 2 May 2009.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  22. ↑ "GRB050117: Swift XRT Position". NASA. 17 January 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2015.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  23. ↑ "NASA's Swift Catches 500th Gamma-ray Burst". NASA. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2016.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  24. ↑ "Swift GRB Table Stats". NASA. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  25. 1 2 "NASA's Swift Spots its Thousandth Gamma-ray Burst". NASA. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2016.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  26. ↑ Foust, Jeff (11 January 2018). "NASA renames Swift mission after astronomer Neil Gehrels". SpaceNews. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  27. ↑ Cofield, Calla (10 January 2018). "NASA Renames Swift Observatory in Honor of Late Principal Investigator". Space.com. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  28. ↑ "The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory". swift.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  29. ↑ Whitehouse, David (11 May 2005). "Blast hints at black hole birth". BBC News. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  30. ↑ Bloom, Joshua (31 May 2005). "Astronomers hot on the trail of nature's exotic flashers" (Press release). University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  31. ↑ "NASA's Swift Satellite Catches a Star Going "Kaboom!"" (Press release). NASA. 21 May 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2009.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  32. ↑ "NASA Satellite Detects Naked-Eye Explosion Halfway Across Universe". NASA. 20 March 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2009.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  33. ↑ Atkinson, Nancy (28 October 2009). "More Observations of GRB 090423, the Most Distant Known Object in the Universe". Universe Today. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  34. ↑ Garner, Robert (19 September 2008). "NASA's Swift Catches Farthest Ever Gamma-Ray Burst". NASA. Retrieved 3 November 2008.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  35. ↑ Reddy, Francis (28 April 2009). "New Gamma-Ray Burst Smashes Cosmic Distance Record". NASA. Retrieved 2 May 2009.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  36. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (25 May 2011). "Cosmic distance record "broken"". BBC News. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  37. ↑ Reddy, Francis (19 April 2010). "NASA's Swift Catches 500th Gamma-ray Burst". NASA. Retrieved 17 June 2011.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  38. ↑ Chang, Alicia (16 June 2011). "Black Hole Devours Star: Source Of Mysterious Flash In Distant Galaxy Determined". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  39. ↑ "Black hole eats star, triggers gamma-ray flash". Cosmos (Australian magazine). Agence France-Presse. 17 June 2011. Archived from the original on 18 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  40. ↑ Reddy, Francis (5 October 2012). "NASA's Swift Satellite Discovers a New Black Hole in our Galaxy". NASA. Retrieved 10 November 2013.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  41. ↑ Sbarufatti, Boris (17 September 2012). "Swift J174510.8-262411 (to be known as Sw J1745-26): 0.5 Crab and rising". The Astronomer's Telegram. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  42. ↑ Belloni, Tomaso (3 October 2012). "Swift J174510.8-262411 in the hard intermediate state". The Astronomer's Telegram. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  43. ↑ Young, Monica (10 May 2013). "A Cosmic Sleight of Hand". Sky & Telescope. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  44. ↑ Reddy, Francis (3 May 2013). "NASA's Fermi, Swift See 'Shockingly Bright' Burst". NASA. Retrieved 10 November 2013.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  45. ↑ "NASA's Swift Mission Observes Mega Flares from a Mini Star". NASA. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2015.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  46. ↑ "NASA Space Telescopes Pinpoint Elusive Brown Dwarf". NASA. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  47. ↑ Keivani, A.; et al. (26 September 2017). "IceCube-170922A: Swift-XRT observations". GCN Circulars. Retrieved 19 April 2018.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  48. ↑ "NASA's Fermi, Swift Missions Enable a New Era in Gamma-ray Science". NASA. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.