Hitomi Measures Perseus Galaxy Cluster's X-ray Winds

The Hitomi satellite, launched by Japan, was expected to bring scientific breakthroughs but disintegrated five weeks post-launch. Despite this, its Soft X Ray Spectrometer provided valuable data. Developed by Goddard scientists and Japanese institutions, it separated X ray colors with unprecedented detail using a micro calorimeter. The spectrometer's observations of NGC 1275 in the Perseus Galaxy Cluster revealed new insights into the motion of superheated gas and challenged existing models of hot plasma X ray emissions. Although the mission was short-lived, the spectrometer's success paves the way for future advancements in X ray astronomy.

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