Unveiling the Hidden Universe: Infrared observatory clears up dusty tales

摘要

Peek in any apartment window, it's said, and you'll discover a unique story. The same is true of the heavens, except that skywatchers face a special challenge. The windows through which they view the cosmos are often clouded by dust. An observer peering through a telescope in visible or ultraviolet light misses much of the drama in the universe, from a stellar nursery teeming with newborns to the fireworks generated by the collision of two galaxies. Infrared telescopes can penetrate this dust, revealing much more of the story. They can also record emissions from heavenly bodies too cool to radiate light at shorter wavelengths and higher energies.