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SPIRE Photometer Bolometer


Date: 19 September 2007
Satellite: Herschel
Depicts: A single bolometer of the SPIRE photometer
Copyright: SPIRE Consortium

Close-up of a single bolometer, hexagonal in shape, with parts of surrounding bolometers also visible. At the heart is a tiny crystal (towards the bottom of the bolometer), which reacts to changes in temperature. When a source on the sky is observed, the green circular area of the bolometer absorbs the energy from the light that falls on it and heats up by a small amount. Its temperature is sensed by the crystal which changes its electrical resistance in response. The electronic circuitry attached to the crystal measures the change in resistance, which provides information on how bright the observed source is.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
16-Feb-2026 15:18 UT

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