美宇航局11月10日在其官网发布消息称，将于当地时间11月15日12点30分（北京时间17日凌晨1点30分）在其华盛顿总部电视演播室举行新闻发布会，就该局“钱德拉”X射线天文台在太空发现的异常物体进行实时转播解说。 美宇航局在其官网表示，媒体代表将有幸参加此次新闻发布会，并通过电话连线的方式进行现场提问。不过要想参加，代表们需提前将所属单位及个人信息发往美宇航局以备审核。此外，科研人员也将出席新闻发布会并就相关问题予以作答。
针对这则即将宣布的消息，有媒体大肆宣称美国宇航局的发现“足以震惊全人类”。不过从美宇航局官网的原话来看，只是在原文提及在宇宙空间内发现“exceptional object”，中文翻译过来为“异常物体”，并没谈及这一发现的“震撼性”和“影响力”。
据了解，美国宇航局下属的“钱德拉”X射线天文台（Chandra X-ray Observatory，缩写为CXO）是美国宇航局于1999年发射的一颗X射线天文卫星，是大型轨道天文台计划的第三颗卫星，目的是观测天体的X射线 辐射。其特点是兼具极高的空间分辨率和谱分辨率，被认为是X射线天文学上具有里程碑意义的空间望远镜，标志着X射线天文学从测光时代进入了光谱时代。
附英文全文：
NASA Announces Televised Chandra News Conference
WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 15, to discuss the Chandra X-ray Observatory's discovery of an exceptional object in our cosmic neighborhood.
The news conference will originate from NASA Headquarters' television studio, 300 E St. SW in Washington and carried live on NASA TV.
Media representatives may attend the conference, join by phone or ask questions from participating NASA locations. To RSVP or obtain dial-in information, journalists must send their name, affiliation and telephone number to Trent Perrotto at: trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov by 10 a.m. EST on Nov. 15. Reporters wishing to attend the conference in-person must have a valid press credential for access. Non-U.S. media also must bring passports.
Scientists involved in the research will be available to answer questions. Panelists providing analysis of the research include:
- Jon Morse, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Kimberly Weaver, astrophysicist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
- Alex Filippenko, astrophysicist, University of California, Berkeley
