1 / 18

The Universe in the Infrared

The Universe in the Infrared. All about Spitzer. What is the Spitzer Space Telescope, and how does it work?. Images courtesy NASA/JPL - Caltech. Funded by NASA’s Spitzer Science Center. Outline. NASA’s Great Observatories Introducing Spitzer Spitzer’s Launch Orbit Naming Spitzer

rona
Download Presentation

The Universe in the Infrared

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Universe in the Infrared All about Spitzer What is the Spitzer Space Telescope, and how does it work? Images courtesy NASA/JPL - Caltech Funded by NASA’s Spitzer Science Center

  2. Outline • NASA’s Great Observatories • Introducing Spitzer • Spitzer’s Launch • Orbit • Naming Spitzer • The Telescope • Instruments • Future IR Telescopes The Universe in the Infrared

  3. NASA’s Great Observatories HST 1990 Spitzer is the final spacecraft in NASA's Great Observatories program Compton GRO 1991 Chandra 1999 The Universe in the Infrared

  4. Introducing Spitzer The Spitzer Space Telescope is a cryogenically cooled, infrared observatory in space. Spitzer can study objects ranging from our Solar System to the distant reaches of the Universe. The Universe in the Infrared

  5. Launch • Launched from KSC on 25 August 2003 • Lifetime: 2.5 years (minimum); 5+ years (goal) The Universe in the Infrared

  6. Most space telescopes orbit the Earth Spitzer orbits the Sun - trailing the Earth as it moves around the Sun Spitzer is receding from Earth at 9.3 million miles (15 million kilometers) per year Spitzer now trails the Earth in its orbit by about 20 million miles (~ 32 million kilometers) By 2008, Spitzer will be about 56 million miles or 90 million kilometers away Heliocentric Orbit The Universe in the Infrared

  7. Named for Lyman Spitzer • Lyman Spitzer was the driving force behind HST • Founded the study of the interstellar medium • Studied interstellar dust and star formation The Universe in the Infrared

  8. Introducing the Telescope The Universe in the Infrared

  9. Spitzer Specs Mirror: 85 cm (33.5”) diameter lightweight beryllium f/12 curvature Weight: Telescope: 851.5 kg He cryogen: 50.4 kg N propellent: 15.6 kg The Universe in the Infrared

  10. Keeping Spitzer Cold • Telescope operates at 5.5 K • Why? - Spitzer is itself a black body radiator, and must be colder than the astronomical sources it detects • How? • Heliocentric orbit • Solar shield/solar cells • Outer shell insulates and cools the telescope The Universe in the Infrared

  11. Keeping Spitzer’s Instruments Even Colder A tank of liquid helium is used to keep Spitzer’s instruments and detectors at 1.5 K The Universe in the Infrared

  12. Spitzer’s Instruments • IRAC – InfraRed Array Camera • images at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8 mm • IRS – InfraRed Spectrograph • mid-IR spectroscopy • MIPS – Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer • images at 24, 70, and 160 mm IRS IRAC MIPS The Universe in the Infrared

  13. InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC) • Built at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory • Simultaneous images in four IR passbands The Universe in the Infrared

  14. InfraRed Spectrometer • Built at Cornell University • Spectroscopy in the mid-IR The Universe in the Infrared

  15. Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) Built at the University of Arizona • Three detector arrays • 128x128 pixel Si:As for 24 mm • 32x32 pixel Ge:Ga for 70 mm • 2x20 pixel Ge:Ga for 160 mm The Universe in the Infrared

  16. Spitzer Focal Plane • Spitzer instruments are arranged in fixed locations on the Spitzer focal plane • The telescope is rotated to move a particular science target to the right position for the instrument to be used • Other instruments record data for “serendipitous” fields The Universe in the Infrared

  17. Spitzer Operations www.spitzer.caltech.edu/about/now.shtml What Is Spitzer Doing Now? The Universe in the Infrared

  18. Future Infrared Satellites 2007:Planck Surveyor - European Space Agency far infrared-submillimeter mission planned for 2007 to study Cosmic Background Radiation. 2007:Herschel Space Observatory - a European Space Agency infrared-submillimeter mission planned for 2007 to study galaxy formation, interstellar matter, star formation and the atmospheres of comets and planets. 2010: The James Webb Space Telescope, planned for launch in about 2011, is a visible/infrared space mission to study the early universe and the formation of galaxies, stars and planets. The Universe in the Infrared

More Related