Infrared Astronomy

Y10 Astronomers in infrared

Infrared Astronomy is the detection and study of the infrared radiation (heat energy) emitted from objects in the Universe. All objects emit infrared radiation. So, Infrared Astronomy involves the study of just about everything in the Universe.

In the field of astronomy, the infrared region lies within the range of sensitivity of infrared detectors, which is between wavelengths of about 1 and 300 microns (a micron is one millionth of a meter). The human eye detects only 1% of light at 0.69 microns, and 0.01% at 0.75 microns, and so effectively cannot see wavelengths longer than about 0.75 microns unless the light source is extremely bright.

 

Using infrared the familiar can take on a spectacular guise - Y10 astronomers above or the winter sky constellation Orion in the infrared, as seen to the left, in this false-color image constructed from data collected by IRAS--the Infrared Astronomical Satellite.

Thanks to the University of Sussex, Department of Physics and Astronomy for their expertise and technical wizardry, for illustrating the use of infrared in astronomy.