NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Astro-E2 program is offering a new and innovative program that will open the doors of research to a team of highly motivated, independent high-school students. From January to April 2005, Astro-E2 will accept and review observing proposals from high-school teams for the use of data from the Astro-E2 X-ray satellite.

Image to right: Observe the universe with the latest NASA X-ray observatory. Credit: NASA

Each entry to the competition will describe a research project and an astronomical observation (anything from galaxies or black holes to supernova remnants or stars) to be carried out by Astro-E2. The winning team will work with professional astronomers and present the results of their analysis at the summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Students participating in this program will learn about cutting-edge research problems in astronomy and astrophysics, work with professional astronomers and understand the challenges of any research project.

Astro-E2 is an observatory to be launched in Feb. 2005. The main instrument on-board, a micro-calorimeter, distinguishes very small differences in the energy of X-ray photons by measuring their heat.

Image to left: Astro-E2 will study X-rays emitted by stars, galaxies and black holes. Credit: NASA

For more information, please access the official guide on how to get involved. The guide contains information on the instrument and the science, along with a check list that will help teams write their proposals.

For more information or to send in a question, please contact:
competition-astroe2@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov

Astro-E2 Competition
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Astro-E2 Competition Official Guide
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