The Lynx X-ray Observatory, which will adapt advanced manufacturing techniques developed in other industries and apply them to X-ray astronomy. Credit: G. Tremblay, CfA. High Resolution Image
The Lynx X-ray Observatory, which will adapt advanced manufacturing techniques developed in other industries and apply them to X-ray astronomy. High Resolution Image
The grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation will advance technology for the new Lynx X-ray Observatory, allowing astronomers to study the universe’s first supermassive black holes with better resolution than ever before.
Cambridge, MA (March Date, 2026) — The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) $3.2 million to advance the key mirror technology for the new Lynx X-ray Observatory. Once launched, Lynx will dramatically improve sensitivity and imaging performance for X-ray astronomy.
The Moore Foundation grant will enable SAO, a part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), to expand technical work on an X-ray mirror system that increases the imaging capabilities of X-ray astronomy with 16x the field of view, up to 20x the spectral resolution, and 800x the surveying speed of current observatories.
“We need X-rays to confirm the identity of the earliest black holes forming,” said Randall Smith, associate director for science at the CfA, and lead PI on the project.
“Lynx is a transformational X-ray observatory that is designed to detect the first black holes and understand how they formed alongside the first galaxies.”
One of Lynx’s primary scientific goals is to observe the dawn of black holes, or the first black holes that formed in the early universe. Recent discoveries from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have revealed candidate early galaxies and compact objects, but X-ray observations are required to determine whether these sources contain actively forming black holes.
“We need X-rays to confirm the identity of the earliest black holes forming,” said Randall Smith, associate director for science at the CfA, and lead PI on the project. “Right now, our candidate sources are very bright in X-ray, but not for very long, and we need increased speed and resolution to observe and understand them. Lynx is a transformational X-ray observatory that is designed to detect the first black holes and understand how they formed alongside the first galaxies.”
The new mirrors enabled by the grant use modern fabrication methods, including ion beam forming, which shapes materials at the molecular level, to achieve the precision needed for next-generation X-ray astronomy.
“Technology from astronomy often is transferred out to other industries. For Lynx, we’re adapting advanced manufacturing techniques developed in other industries and applying them to X-ray astronomy,” said Peter Cheimets, telescope developer at the CfA, and an engineer for Lynx.
“This is not a spin-off of space technology, it’s a spin-in. By bringing these proven methods into astrophysics, and using them all at the same time, we can build mirrors with the precision, performance, speed, and cost needed to make Lynx possible.”
To date, the Moore Foundation has provided more than $28 million in support for black hole research and the launch of new projects at the CfA. With the new grant, Lynx joins the list of CfA-led black hole projects to be funded by Moore Foundation.
“CfA is leading the way in next-generation X-ray astronomy,” said Lisa Kewley, director of the CfA. “The support we’ve received, and continue to receive, from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is crucial to supporting the cutting-edge observatories that will allow us to gain a deeper and clearer understanding of the universe for years to come.”
Cambridge, MA (March Date, 2026) — The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) $3.2 million to advance the key mirror technology for the new Lynx X-ray Observatory. Once launched, Lynx will dramatically improve sensitivity and imaging performance for X-ray astronomy.
The Moore Foundation grant will enable SAO, a part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), to expand technical work on an X-ray mirror system that increases the imaging capabilities of X-ray astronomy with 16x the field of view, up to 20x the spectral resolution, and 800x the surveying speed of current observatories.
“We need X-rays to confirm the identity of the earliest black holes forming,” said Randall Smith, associate director for science at the CfA, and lead PI on the project.
“Lynx is a transformational X-ray observatory that is designed to detect the first black holes and understand how they formed alongside the first galaxies.”
One of Lynx’s primary scientific goals is to observe the dawn of black holes, or the first black holes that formed in the early universe. Recent discoveries from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have revealed candidate early galaxies and compact objects, but X-ray observations are required to determine whether these sources contain actively forming black holes.
“We need X-rays to confirm the identity of the earliest black holes forming,” said Randall Smith, associate director for science at the CfA, and lead PI on the project. “Right now, our candidate sources are very bright in X-ray, but not for very long, and we need increased speed and resolution to observe and understand them. Lynx is a transformational X-ray observatory that is designed to detect the first black holes and understand how they formed alongside the first galaxies.”
The new mirrors enabled by the grant use modern fabrication methods, including ion beam forming, which shapes materials at the molecular level, to achieve the precision needed for next-generation X-ray astronomy.
“Technology from astronomy often is transferred out to other industries. For Lynx, we’re adapting advanced manufacturing techniques developed in other industries and applying them to X-ray astronomy,” said Peter Cheimets, telescope developer at the CfA, and an engineer for Lynx.
“This is not a spin-off of space technology, it’s a spin-in. By bringing these proven methods into astrophysics, and using them all at the same time, we can build mirrors with the precision, performance, speed, and cost needed to make Lynx possible.”
To date, the Moore Foundation has provided more than $28 million in support for black hole research and the launch of new projects at the CfA. With the new grant, Lynx joins the list of CfA-led black hole projects to be funded by Moore Foundation.
“CfA is leading the way in next-generation X-ray astronomy,” said Lisa Kewley, director of the CfA. “The support we’ve received, and continue to receive, from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is crucial to supporting the cutting-edge observatories that will allow us to gain a deeper and clearer understanding of the universe for years to come.”
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About the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation advances scientific discovery, environmental conservation, and the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit moore.org and follow @MooreFound.
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