NASA to launch new x-ray telescope designed to unravel mysteries of black holes - CNN

The satellite will be able to see an often overlooked aspect of cosmic ray sources called polarization.

Advances in X-ray astronomy

"The launch of IXPE marks a bold and unique step forward for X-ray astronomy," said Martin Weisskopf, IXPE's principal investigator, in a statement.

"IXPE will tell us more about the precise nature of cosmic X-ray sources than we can learn by studying their brightness and color spectrum alone."

X-rays are a highly energetic wavelength of light that are born from extremes.

Understanding extreme cosmic objects

Using IXPE to study the polarization of cosmic X-rays could help scientists better understand the remnants of exploded stars, like black holes and neutron stars, their environments and how they produce X-rays.