What is Chandra Observatory of NASA? Why is it named after an Indian?

National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NAS),  the American space agency, has achieved remarkable success in space exploration. Its telescopes are not only stationed at various locations on Earth but also operate in space through satellites, contributing significantly to scientific research. One such telescope is the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Well, for most of you, the instant question upon hearing its name is: Why did the Americans name it “Chandra”? Why is it named after an Indian? Well, to know more, read the detailed story here.

What is Chandra Observatory of NASA? Why is it named after an Indian?

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is the world’s most powerful X-ray telescope. It has eight times greater resolution. It is able to detect sources more than 20 times fainter than any previous X-ray telescope. The Chandra X-ray Observatory, despite its name, has no connection to the moon (Chandra in Sanskrit). It was named after Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, an Indian-American astrophysicist known for his groundbreaking work on the structure and evolution of stars. Known to the world as Chandra (which means “moon” or “luminous” in Sanskrit), Chandra was widely regarded as one of the foremost astrophysicists of the twentieth century.

The Nobel laureate immigrated in 1937 from India to the United States, where he joined the faculty of the University of Chicago, a position he remained at until his death. He and his wife became American citizens in 1953. Later in 1983, Chandra was awarded the Nobel prize for his theoretical studies of the physical processes important to the structure and evolution of stars.

What is the Chandra Observatory of NASA?

According to NASA, the Chandra X-ray Observatory is part of NASA’s fleet of “Great Observatories” along with the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitizer Space Telescope and the now deorbited Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Chandra allows scientists from around the world to obtain X-ray images of exotic environments to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe.

Since its launch on July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-ray Observatory has served as NASA’s flagship mission for X-ray astronomy. The observatory captures X-ray images of distant environments in space, helping scientists around the world understand the structure and evolution of the universe.

Chandra allows scientists from around the world to obtain X-ray images of exotic environments to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The Chandra X-ray Observatory program is managed by NASA’s Marshall Center for the Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.