Starship Asterisk*

HEAPOW: NuSTAR Extended (2014 Jul 21)

Friday, June 13th marked the second anniversary of the launch of NuSTAR, NASA's extremely high energy X-ray imager. NuSTAR's unique combination of X-ray telescopes and detectors allow astronomers, for the first time, to image directly the Universe at energies up to 80 keV. Over the past two years, NuSTAR has helped astronomers determine the spin rate of black holes, understand how stars explode, study a uniquely bright Gamma-ray burst, and make other breakthrough observations of black holes, pulsars, supernova remnants, stars and galaxies. NASA has recently conducted a review of all its operating space astronomy missions, and, as a result of the extraordinary science returned by NuSTAR, the mission has been extended through 2016. The NuSTAR mission will also now accept competitively-selected proposals for observations, giving astronomers increased access to this important tool for studying the high-energy Universe. When will your favorite object be observed?