We're taking science in a new direction ⬆️ #IXPE, our Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer, lifted off from NASAKennedy at 1:00 a.m. EST (06:00 UTC) this morning. Orbiting about 375 miles (600 km) above Earth's equator, IXPE will observe the universe using polarized X-rays, a unique property of light rarely studied in space. Polarized light occurs when light waves bounce off matter in particular ways, causing their electric fields to all vibrate in the same direction. (Polarized sunglasses, for example, work by blocking unpolarized light after it reflects off of water, reducing glare.) Understanding polarized X-rays will help us unlock the secrets of our universe's most energetic objects, from how black holes spin to what keeps incredibly powerful pulsars running. Managed by NASA_Marshall, IXPE was developed in collaboration with the agenziaspazialeitaliana and will be operated by ballaerospace. CREDIT: NASA/Joel Kowsky #NASA #Space #Astrophysics #Rocket #RocketLaunch #XRay #BlackHol...