Article
Article
- Astronomy & Space Science
- Astronomical instruments
- Swift gamma-ray burst mission
- Astronomy & Space Science
- Astrophysics
- Swift gamma-ray burst mission
DISCLAIMER: This article is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at last review, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information.
Swift gamma-ray burst mission
Article By:
Cominsky, Lynn Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California.
Last reviewed:2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB084060
- Instruments
- Coordination with ground-based telescopes
- GRB characteristics
- GRB discoveries in the Swift era
- Non-GRB science with Swift
- Administration
- Related Primary Literature
- Additional Reading
The Swift gamma-ray burst (GRB) satellite was launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into low-Earth orbit on November 20, 2004. Swift's primary scientific objectives are to study gamma-ray bursts, brief cosmic blasts of very high energy electromagnetic radiation, and their afterglows, longer-lasting emissions in x-ray, ultraviolet, and visible light, which are produced by the cooling embers from the initial explosion. Swift's unique design features three different telescopes on board: the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), the X-ray Telescope (XRT), and the Ultraviolet-Optical Telescope (UVOT) [Fig. 1].
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