Celebrating 20 Years of Swift!
Each month through March 2025, the Swift team will be unveiling new content on this website, so please check back regularly. We begin with an Introduction to Swift.
December: Gamma Ray Bursts
Swift is the unparalleled cosmic first responder, catching gamma-ray bursts on the fly and revealing their secrets. Studying these explosions, the most luminous events in the universe, have transformed our understanding of stellar deaths, black hole births, and the dynamic universe. Join us this month as we honor Swift's enduring legacy of discovery and its trailblazing contributions to high-energy astrophysics.
November: Intro To Swift
November 2024 kicks off a multi-month celebration of the amazing science, operations, and mission that made the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory a unique part of the NASA fleet. Launched in 2004, Swift has been scanning the sky catching gamma-ray bursts, the most energetic events in the universe. Join us in subsequent months where we'll highlight the science of gamma-ray bursts, how Swift works with its other observatory friends, how Swift has changed astronomy, and what kinds of exciting science we'll look forward to in the future.
January: Swift and Friends
Swift observes radiation from a wide range of astronomical objects, from stellar-mass black holes to supermassive black holes, stars, dwarfs, and exoplanets. It supports over 20 ground- and space-based observatories, delivering X-ray observations almost immediately after a request is made. Swift anticipates needs by acting proactively, delivering time-sensitive observations even before formal requests are made.
February: Changing Time Domain Landscape
Coming Soon!
March: The Future
Coming Soon!