X-ray astronomy comes of age.

The Chandra X-ray Observatory (Chandra) and the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) continue to expand the frontiers of knowledge about high-energy processes in the Universe. These groundbreaking observatories lead an X-ray astronomy revolution: revealing the physical processes and extreme conditions involved in producing cosmic X-rays in objects ranging in size from a few kilometres (comets) to millions of light years (clusters of galaxies), and particle densities ranging over 20 orders of magnitude. In probing matter under conditions far outside those accessible from Earth, they have a central role in the quest to understand our place in the Universe and the fundamental laws that govern our existence.

The first decade of science with Chandra and XMM-Newton.

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the ESA's X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) made their first observations ten years ago. The complementary capabilities of these observatories allow us to make high-resolution images and precisely measure the energy of cosmic X-rays. Less than 50 years after the first detection of an extrasolar X-ray source, these observatories have achieved an increase in sensitivity comparable to going from naked-eye observations to the most powerful optical telescopes over the past 400 years.