The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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These preliminary X-ray images were taken by Integral's JEM-X instrument in two separate slots of the Earth observation campaign, in late January (top row) and early February 2006 (bottom row).
The four images in each row correspond to different energy intervals. The plot shows the image of Earth against the diffuse cosmic X-ray background, as the JEM-X field of view sweeps across it (fixed stars would make stripes in this representation). The most remarkable thing to note is the bright spot visible at the two bottom left images, presumably indicating a northern auroral X-ray emission.