NASA’s Swift Observatory is about to burn up in the atmosphere – the indispensable telescope helped astronomers track fast-moving events in space

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par Mary Ogborn, Ph.D. Candidate in Astrophysics, Penn State

A 22-year-old space telescope is losing its fight against gravity and is predicted to come crashing down to Earth on the morning of Nov. 4, 2026. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory had been the go-to telescope for observing astrophysical events that happen quickly, such as supernovas. Its onboard instruments allowed it to contribute…