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

3C-397 Scientists measured the central density of a white dwarf for the first time 10-Jun-2021
An international collaboration recently measured the central density of white dwarf just before exploding as a so-called Type Ia supernova. Using data obtained from the astronomical satellite XMM-Newton, they made observations of the supernova remnant 3C 397 and measured its central density.
Further details on Tech Explorist web portal.

New X-ray map reveals growing supermassive black holes in next-gen survey fields New X-ray map reveals growing supermassive black holes in next-gen survey fields 08-Jun-2021
One of the largest X-ray surveys using the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton space observatory has mapped nearly 12,000 X-ray sources across three large, prime regions of the sky.The X-ray sources represent active galactic nuclei and galaxy clusters...
Further details on Penn State web portal.

observations-shed-more Observations shed more light on the properties of pulsar PSR J0740+6620 24-May-2021
An international team of astronomers has carried out X-ray observations of a massive millisecond pulsar known as PSR J0740+6620...The XMM-Newton (hereafter XMM) telescope observed PSR J0740+6620 as part of a Director's Discretionary Time program...
Further details on Phys web portal.

Supermassive black holes devour gas just like their petite counterparts Supermassive black holes devour gas just like their petite counterparts 17-May-2021
On Sept. 9, 2018, astronomers spotted a flash from a galaxy 860 million light years away. The source was a supermassive black hole about 50 million times the mass of the sun...The team collected data over two years, using X-ray space telescopes XMM-Newton and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory...
Further details on MIT web portal.

eROSITA witnesses the awakening of massive black holes eROSITA witnesses the awakening of massive black holes 29-Apr-2021
Using the SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey data, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have found two previously quiescent galaxies that now show quasi-periodic eruptions...which was confirmed by follow-up observations with the XMM-Newton.
Further details on Max Planck Institute web portal.

Quasi-periodic dipping detected in an ultraluminous X-ray source Quasi-periodic dipping detected in an ultraluminous X-ray source 28-Apr-2021
Astronomers have performed a timing analysis of the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 247 ULX-1 using ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft. The study detected quasi-periodic dipping in the X-ray light curve of this source...NGC 247 ULX-1 was observed eight times by XMM-Newton over one month.
Further details on Phys web portal.