Learn About Chandra

Chandra (def.): Launched on July 23, 1999, it is the largest and most sophisticated X-ray observatory to date.

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is a telescope specially designed to detect X-ray emission from very hot regions of the Universe such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes. Because X-rays are absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, Chandra must orbit above it, up to an altitude of 139,000 km (86,500 mi) in space. As its mission progresses, Chandra will continue to discover startling new science about our high-energy Universe.  More >

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Chandra Blog
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  • Chandra Mission Overview
    Chandra is designed to observe X-rays from high-energy regions of the Universe.
  • Top 10 Facts About Chandra
    Did you know Chandra was the largest satellite the Space Shuttle Columbia ever launched?
  • Infographic
    Fun Facts About NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
  • Interactive Chandra Spacecraft
    Learn about all the parts of the Chandra spacecraft and how they work together to take X-ray images
  • Tracking Chandra
    Follow along with this tutorial to see for yourself what Chandra's orbit path looks like
  • X-ray Images 101
    How are Chandra images made? What do the colors mean? Find out the answers to these questions and more in X-ray Images 101
  • Chandra's Top 10 Scientific Discoveries
    In more than a decade of operation, Chandra has had a widespread, transformative impact on 21st century astrophysics.
  • Major Milestones in X-ray Astronomy
    Chandra is part of a long history of X-ray astronomy, streching back to the early 1960s.
  • Telescopes & Light
    Astronomers have built telescopes and detectors that can see far beyond the type of radiation we can detect with the human eye.
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