= Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
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The <Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer> was a space observatory designed to measure rapid X-ray variability, operating from its 1995 launch until 2012. Its time-resolved observations probed accretion and rotation around compact objects such as <neutron> <stars> and <black holes>.
Fast event timing complements an <energy> spectrum. A narrow feature in a temporal <power spectrum> identifies an oscillation or rotation <frequency> of the source, not the <frequency> of an individual X-ray <photon>. Comparing such timing features with changes in spectral shape helps distinguish physical states of an accreting system.<The Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer by NASA>[Mission lifetime and compact-source timing goals]{ref}
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