XMM-Newton Uses Galactic Cluster to Callibrate Instruments
NGC 2516 was chosen as a calibration target for XMM-Newton’s European Photon Imaging Cameras (EPIC) because the locations of each of these stars within the cluster had already been determined with a very high precision by other ground-based and space-borne observatories, including NASA’s Chandra. According to ESA “The data is used to pursue the detailed calibration of the EPIC instruments, and to line up the EPIC cameras with the Optical Monitor. With this knowledge, X-ray sources detected in the future will be located with a precision of one arcsecond – equivalent to being able to read the text on this page at a distance of one kilometre!” Related links ° XMM-Newton views a cluster of jewels in NGC 2516, ESA press release ° NGC 2516 viewed by EPIC MOS, ESA ° NGC 2516 viewed by EPIC PN, ESA ° XMM-Newton’s European Photon Imaging Cameras (EPIC), ESA ° The young stellar cluster NGC 2516, NASA GSFC ° NGC 2516, an open cluster in Carina, BinoSky ° Scientists get the key to XMM-Newton, ESA press release ° Lifting the veil on the X-ray universe, ESA press release ° Europe’s latest space telescope is off to a good start, ESA press release ° XMM in safe hands, ESA press release ° XMM takes pictures of itself!, ESA press release ° XMM flying beautifully, ESA press release ° 
Europe’s XMM-Newton spacecraft is currently undergoing a series of callibrations in preparation for becoming fully operational. One of the recent celestial targets chosen for use in callibration was NGC 2516, a relatively young open galactic cluster located in the southern sky (in the constellation Carina), 1.3 million light years from Earth.
ESA’s X-ray space observatory XMM takes first pictures, ESA press release
