High-energy replicated optics

High-energy replicated optics (HERO) is a high-altitude balloon-borne x-ray telescope based at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Its mirrors are conical approximations to Wolter type 1 geometry.^[1] The proving flight, at least, used a high-pressure gas scintillation proportional counter with relatively low spatial resolution.

This X-ray image of Cygnus X-1 was taken by HERO. Note the low spatial resolution of the image. NASA image.

High-Energy Replicated Optics

Telescope style	balloon-borne telescope X-ray telescope
Focal length	6 m (19 ft 8 in)
Website	wwwastro.msfc.nasa.gov/research/hero/hero_index.html

See also

• High energy X-ray imaging technology
• X-ray astronomy

References

1. B.D. Ramsey et al., HERO : High-Energy Replicated Optics for a Hard-X-Ray Balloon Payload, Proc. SPIE 4138, X-Ray Optics, Instruments, and Missions IV (2000)

External links

• High energy replicated optics to explore the Sun: Hard x-ray balloon-borne telescope (2013)