Introduction to and Science highlights from the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a NASA Small Explorer Mission resulting from the collaboration of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the Italian Space Agency and other partners. IXPE has been successfully performing science operations since January 2022. IXPE provides unique and powerful X-ray polarization capabilities and has been providing crucial insights into our understanding of X-ray production and the geometry of several objects such as neutron stars and pulsar wind nebulae, as well as stellar and supermassive black holes, among others. In this talk, I will give an overview of the mission, science highlights from IXPE, and upcoming opportunities to get involved.