eROSITA releases catalog doubling X-ray sources to almost 2 million
The eROSITA space telescope just dropped its latest cosmic map, revealing almost 2 million X-ray sources in the western Galactic hemisphere.
This new catalog, built from three full-sky scans over about a year and a half, roughly doubles what was found in the first release and gives scientists a much bigger playground to explore things like black holes and galaxy clusters.
Imaging footprint finds 88% extragalactic counterparts
eROSITA's list includes both point-like sources (think stars and actively accreting supermassive black holes) and extended ones (like galaxy clusters or supernova remnants).
Roughly 88% of the identified counterparts in one major imaging footprint are extragalactic.
By mixing X-ray data with optical and infrared information, astronomers can now study their distances, types and physical properties across cosmic time.