Infrared telescope

An infrared telescope which was installed at the Mount Wilson Observatory and completed the first 2.2-micron survey of the entire sky
An infrared-visible comparison view of the Cat’s Paw Nebula

A infrared telescope is a telescope used to observe distant objects in infrared light, one of several types of radiation present in the electromagnetic spectrum.

All celestial objects with a temperature above absolute zero emit some form of electromagnetic radiation. In order to study the universe, scientists use several different types of telescopes to detect these different types of emitted radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum. Some of these are gamma ray, x-ray, ultra-violet, regular visible light (optical), as well as infrared telescopes.

History

There were several key developments that led to the invention of the infrared telescope:

Infrared telescopes may be ground-based, air-borne, or space telescopes. They contain an infrared camera with a special solid-state infrared detector which must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures.

Ground-based telescopes were the first to be used to observe outer space in infrared. Their popularity increased in the mid-1960s. Ground-based telescopes have limitations because water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere absorbs infrared radiation. Ground-based infrared telescopes tend to be placed on high mountains and in very dry climates to improve visibility.

In the 1960s, scientists used balloons to lift infrared telescopes to higher altitudes. With balloons, they were able to reach about 25 miles (40 kilometres) up. In 1967, infrared telescopes were placed on rockets. These were the first air-borne infrared telescopes. Since then, aircraft like the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) have been adapted to carry infrared telescopes. A more recent air-borne infrared telescope to reach the stratosphere was NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) in May 2010. Together, United States scientists and the German Aerospace Center scientists placed a 17-ton infrared telescope on a Boeing 747 jet airplane.

Placing infrared telescopes in space eliminates the interference from the Earth's atmosphere. One of the most significant infrared telescope projects was the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) that launched in 1983. It revealed information about other galaxies, as well as information about the center of our galaxy the Milky Way. NASA presently has solar-powered spacecraft in space with an infrared telescope called the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It was launched on December 25, 2021.

Comparison of infrared telescopes

IRAS, the first infrared space telescope
James Webb Space Telescope, a flagman NASA infrared telescope

The wavelength of visible light is about 0.4 μm to 0.7 μm, and 0.75 μm to 1000 μm (1 mm) is a typical range for infrared astronomy, far-infrared astronomy, to submillimetre astronomy.

NameImageEffective
aperture		Wavelength
Coverage		SiteYear(s)Refs
TAO telescope6.5 m (260 in)0.9-38 μmUniversity of Tokyo Atacama Obs., Chile2024
James Webb Space Telescope6.5 m (260 in)0.6-28.5 μmSpace, Sun-Earth L22022-
VISTA4.1 m (160 in)0.85 – 2.3 μmParanal Obs., Chile2008
Eastern Anatolia Observatory3.94 m (155 in)0.9 – 2.5 μmErzurum, Turkey2024[better source needed]
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope3.8 m (150 in)0.8 - 20 μmMauna Kea Obs., Hawaii1978
Herschel Space Observatory3.5 m (140 in)60-672 μmSpace, Sun-Earth L22009-2013
Infrared Telescope Facility3.2 m (130 in)0.8 - 25 μmMauna Kea, Hawaii1979
SOFIA2.5 m (98 in)0.3 - 655 μm747SP; Stratosphere2010-2022
Wyoming Infrared Observatory2.3 m (91 in)0.4 - 0.8 μmJelm mountain, 9656 ft. (2943m)1977
Comparison of infrared space telescopes
NameEffective
aperture
cm (in)		Wavelength
Coverage		YearRefs
James Webb (JWST)650 cm0.6-28.5 μm2021-
Herschel Obs.350 cm (138 in)60-672 μm2009 - 2013
Hubble WFC3240 cm0.2-1.7 μm2009 -
Euclid NISP120 cm0.92-2.02 μm2023 -
Spitzer85 cm3-180 μm2003 - 2020
Akari68.5 cm2-200 μm2006 -2011
ISO60 cm2.5-240 μm1995-1998
IRAS57 cm5-100 μm1983
NEO Surveyor50 cm4–5.2 & 6–10 μm2028 (planned)
WISE/NEOWISE40 cm3-25 μm2009-2011 & 2013 -
MSX33 cm4.3-21 μm1996 - 1997
SPHEREx20 cm0.75 to 5.0 μm2025 -
Spacelab IRT15.2 cm1.7-118 μm1985 Aug

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ SPACE OBSERVATORY TO STUDY THE FAR, THE COLD AND THE DUSTY, NASA press kit, 2003
  2. 1 2 3 Timeline Archived 2010-06-18 at the Wayback Machine Caltech
  3. ↑ "Ask An Infrared Astronomer: Infrared Telescopes". coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu. Archived from the original on 2003-11-25.
  4. ↑ Hamilton, J. (2010, July 2) NASA's flying telescope sees early success. National Public Radio. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2010/07/02/128015118/nasas-flying-telescope-sees-early-success
  5. ↑ "NASA launches infrared telescope to scan entire sky". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ Emerson, J.P., Sutherland, W.J., McPherson, A.M., Craig, S.C., Dalton, G.B., Ward, A.K. (2005). The Visible & Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy. The Messenger
  8. ↑ . DOĞU ANADOLU GÖZLEMEVİ İÇİN GERİ SAYIM
  9. 1 2 Amos, Jonathan (14 June 2009). "ESA launches Herschel and Planck space telescopes". BBC. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  10. ↑ IRTF homepage
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 JPL: Herschel Space Observatory: Related Missions
  12. ↑ Krabbe, Alfred (March 2007). "SOFIA telescope". Proceedings of SPIE: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation. Munich, Germany: SPIE — The International Society for Optical Engineering. pp. 276–281. arXiv:astro-ph/0004253. Bibcode:2000SPIE.4014..276K. doi:10.1117/12.389103.
  13. ↑ University of Wyoming 2.3-meter Telescope (WIRO)
  14. ↑ NASA to Build New Asteroid-Hunting Space Telescope 2019
  15. ↑ Kent, et al. – Galactic structure from the Spacelab infrared telescope (1992).