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Infrared Telescope Lifts Off

Posted by Hemos on from the up-up-up-and-away dept.

An anonymous reader writes "On its Delta 2 Heavy-Lift vehicle, the Space Infrared Telescope (SIRTF) successfully launched to its solar orbit at 1:35 AM (EDT). As a result of the expansion of the Universe, most of the optical and ultraviolet radiation emitted from stars, galaxies, and quasars since the beginning of time now lies in the infrared. How and when the first objects in the Universe formed will be learned in large part from this observatory's infrared observations."

1 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. 60 years by solarlux · · Score: 5, Interesting

    God, I hope they calculate the trajectories right or there might be an interesting "meteor" shower in about 60 years...

    CNN Article

    Unlike most astronomical spacecraft SIRTF will not be orbiting the Earth. Instead, it will be put into orbit around the sun. "SIRTF will be following the Earth around the sun, kind of like a faithful puppy dog," astronomer Michael Werner said. The solar orbit increases the lifetime of the spacecraft. SIRTF will gradually lag further and further away from the Earth until it's too far to be detected. But in about six decades the Earth will "catch up" with SIRTF, like a race car lapping another race car.