Editing X-ray astronomy (section)

==History of X-ray astronomy==
{{main|History of X-ray astronomy}}
[[File:Sl2lab06.jpg|thumb|NRL scientists J. D. Purcell, C. Y. Johnson, and Dr. F. S. Johnson are among those recovering instruments from a V-2 used for upper atmospheric research above the New Mexico desert. This is V-2 number 54, launched January 18, 1951, (photo by Dr. Richard Tousey, NRL).]]
In 1927, E.O. Hulburt of the [[US Naval Research Laboratory]] and associates [[Gregory Breit]] and [[Merle A. Tuve]] of the [[Carnegie Institution of Washington]] explored the possibility of equipping [[Robert H. Goddard]]'s rockets to explore the upper atmosphere. "Two years later, he proposed an experimental program in which a rocket might be instrumented to explore the upper atmosphere, including detection of ultraviolet radiation and X-rays at high altitudes".<ref name=Spacelab2>{{cite web |title=Spacelab 2 NRL Looks at the Sun |url=http://wwwsolar.nrl.navy.mil/sl2_pub.html |access-date=October 29, 2009 |archive-date=February 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224192219/http://wwwsolar.nrl.navy.mil/sl2_pub.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the late 1930s, the presence of a very hot, tenuous gas surrounding the Sun was inferred indirectly from optical coronal lines of highly ionized species.<ref name=Gudel/> The Sun has been known to be surrounded by a hot tenuous corona.<ref name=Grottian>{{Cite journal|author=Grottian W |journal=Naturwissenschaften|volume=27 |page=214|doi=10.1007/BF01488890|title=Zur Frage der Deutung der Linien im Spektrum der Sonnenkorona|date=1939|issue=13|bibcode = 1939NW.....27..214G |s2cid=27237383 }}</ref> In the mid-1940s radio observations revealed a radio corona around the Sun.<ref name=Gudel/>

The beginning of the search for X-ray sources from above the Earth's atmosphere was on [[Spaceflight before 1951|August 5, 1948 12:07]] GMT. A US Army (formerly German) [[V-2 rocket]] as part of [[Hermes project|Project Hermes]] was launched from [[White Sands Proving Grounds]]. The first solar X-rays were recorded by T. Burnight.<ref name=Keller>{{Cite journal|author=Keller CU |title=X-rays from the Sun |journal=Cell Mol Life Sci|date=1995 |volume=51|issue=7 |page=710|doi=10.1007/BF01941268|s2cid=23522259 }}</ref>

Through the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, the sensitivity of detectors increased greatly during the 60 years of X-ray astronomy. In addition, the ability to focus X-rays has developed enormously—allowing the production of high-quality images of many fascinating celestial objects.