X-ray pulsar-based navigation
Okay, so let's say you go on a trip to a really far away place, but you don't have a map or GPS to help you. How can you find your way?
Well, some really smart scientists figured out that they can use special stars called pulsars to help them figure out where they are in space. Pulsars are stars that spin really fast and shoot out beams of energy, like lighthouses in space.
When these energy beams pass by a spacecraft, they can be detected and used to figure out the spacecraft's location. But, there's a problem- sometimes the spacecraft can't see the pulsars because they are blocked by something called the Earth's atmosphere.
That's where x-ray pulsar-based navigation comes in. X-rays are a special kind of light that can go through the Earth's atmosphere and reach the spacecraft. By using x-ray telescopes on board the spacecraft, scientists can detect the pulsars even when they can't see them with regular telescopes.
Once the spacecraft knows where the pulsars are, it can use them to figure out its location in space. This helps scientists make sure the spacecraft is on the right path and heading to the correct destination.
So, x-ray pulsar-based navigation is like using a very special kind of map that helps you find your way in space using pulsars and x-rays.
Well, some really smart scientists figured out that they can use special stars called pulsars to help them figure out where they are in space. Pulsars are stars that spin really fast and shoot out beams of energy, like lighthouses in space.
When these energy beams pass by a spacecraft, they can be detected and used to figure out the spacecraft's location. But, there's a problem- sometimes the spacecraft can't see the pulsars because they are blocked by something called the Earth's atmosphere.
That's where x-ray pulsar-based navigation comes in. X-rays are a special kind of light that can go through the Earth's atmosphere and reach the spacecraft. By using x-ray telescopes on board the spacecraft, scientists can detect the pulsars even when they can't see them with regular telescopes.
Once the spacecraft knows where the pulsars are, it can use them to figure out its location in space. This helps scientists make sure the spacecraft is on the right path and heading to the correct destination.
So, x-ray pulsar-based navigation is like using a very special kind of map that helps you find your way in space using pulsars and x-rays.