Hakucho
An artist's conception of the Hakucho satellite in oribt. (Credit: ISAS/JAXA)
Lifetime: February 1979 - April 1985
Country (primary): Japan
Primary Science
Hakucho was Japan's first X-ray astronomy satellite. It was designed to study and monitor transient X-ray sources with a particular emphasis on X-ray bursts.
Science Highlights
- Discovery of soft X-ray transients like Centaurus X-4
- Discovery of many burst sources
- Long-term monitoring of X-ray pulsars (like Vela X-1)