Public domain
Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER)
From the collection of NASA Image and Video Library. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
NICER’s X-ray concentrator optics are inspected under a black light for dust and foreign object debris that could impair functionality once in space. The payload’s 56 mirror assemblies concentrate X-rays onto silicon detectors to gather data that will probe the interior makeup of neutron stars, including those that appear to flash regularly, called pulsars.
NASA Image and Video Library’s own descriptionCredit lineNeutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). NASA/GSFC, 2017-12-08. Public domain. ID: GSFC_20171208_Archive_e000042.
