XMM-Newton SOC Home Page - XMM-Newton

Welcome to the XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre

The European Space Agency's (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESA's second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations.

Since Earth's atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.

Read more about the spacecraft, mirrors and instruments and about the XMM-Newton SOC.

News and Highlights

Astronomers survey the least massive black holes at the center of galaxies in the local universe 3-May-2022
Our research work has revealed the nature of the least massive supermassive black holes at the centers of nearby galaxies. We used high-quality X-ray data from the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton observatory to closely study the temporal and spectral behaviors...
Further details on Science X web portal.

A Spiral Galaxy That Doesn’t Play by the Rules 6-April-2022
The authors begin by introducing seven superluminous spiral galaxies, a recently discovered class of huge galaxies with spiral or lenticular shapes. Using the X-ray telescope XMM-Newton, the authors found no X-ray emission surrounding two of their galaxies.
Further details on AAS Nova web portal.

Powerful warm winds seen blowing from a neutron star as it rips up its companion 7-March-2022
Using the most powerful telescopes on Earth and in space, a team of astronomers has found for the first time blasts of hot, warm and cold winds from a neutron star whilst it consumes matter from a nearby star.
Further details on Eurek Alert web portal.

A Potential New Source of Quasi-Periodic Eruptions 3-March-2022
Chakraborty and collaborators searched for quasi-periodic eruptions in archival observations from the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton), a space telescope that has been observing the X-ray sky since 2000.
Further details on AAS Nova web portal.

Study investigates X-ray variability of the binary system HD 189733 9-Feb-2022
Astronomers from Italy and Spain have observed a binary system known as HD 189733, using ESA's XMM-Newton satellite. Results deliver essential information regarding the peculiar X-ray variability of this binary.
Further details on Phys web portal.

Could this be a planet in another galaxy? 26-Oct-2021
Using ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s Chandra X-ray space telescopes, astronomers have made an important step in the quest to find a planet outside of the Milky Way.
Further details on ESA's Science & Exploration web portal.