Japan put into orbit on Wednesday an X-ray astronomy satellite that could shed light on the mysteries of black holes, carried on an H-2A rocket launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima.
The two-stage carrier vehicle lifted off at 5.45 pm and released the “Astro-H” satellite about 15 minutes later to put it into orbit about 580km above the Earth’s surface, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
The satellite is a space observatory equipped with four X-ray telescopes and two gamma-ray detectors. Scientists hope to observe distant galaxies with it to study the mysteries surrounding the evolution of the universe.
Data from the satellite could be of particular use in the study of black holes, which are difficult to observe directly because they emit no light.
Combining information gleaned from X-rays with information about black holes’ gravitational waves could greatly advance understanding of the mysterious bodies.