ESA Science & Technology - Herschel will open a new vista on infant stars and galaxies...

Publication date: 02 April 2009

Authors: D. Clery

Journal: Science
Volume: 324
Issue: 5927
Page: 584-586
Year: 2009

Copyright: AAAS

With the biggest mirror yet flown in space, Europe's new Herschel Space Observatory will peer through a new wavelength window at the cool regions of the universe. It will be launched together with Planck, a mission to map the cosmic microwave background radiation in unprecedented detail. In addition to studying the formation of galaxies and stars, astronomers hope to use Herschel to study comets, asteroids, and planetary atmospheres in our solar system and how debris disks around stars form into planets.