UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Ultraviolet Optical Telescope (UVOT) aboard NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory captured its 1 millionth image on May 13. Swift's science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center at the University Park campus. Penn State and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who along with an international partner collaborate to manage the Swift mission, teamed up to release a few items to celebrate the 1 millionth image snapped in UV.
Michael Siegel, research professor of astronomy and astrophysics, Penn State, penned an article for The Conversation about the data gathered with the UVOT that astrophysicists use to gain insights into everything from the origins of the universe to the chemical composition of nearby comets. Read The Conversation piece here.