NASA Universe

NASA Universe

@nasauniverse · Twitter ·

There’s a BAT in space! Swift’s Burst Alert Telescope watches the sky for gamma-ray flashes. It even wears a mask (pictured) that creates a pattern of shadows to help pinpoint their locations. More: https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/observatories/learning/swift/mission/bat.html #Swift20

In this image, a technician in protective clothing, goggles, and gloves inspects the Swift coded aperture mask before the telescope’s launch. A large, gray surface extends in front of them covered in tiny squares. These form a random pattern of lighter and darker areas. A few empty rectangular areas with several circular holes are seen periodically along the edge of the mask. The image is watermarked “Credit: NASA.”