IRTF: Scanning the Infrared Skies
Explanation:
Above, NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) poses in front of a starry
background. Located on top of
Hawaii's towering
volcano
Mauna Kea, the
IRTF
is the premier telescope for observing in near
infrared light. This
3-meter telescope was established in 1979 and spends about half its time
observing
Solar System
objects. In 1994, for example, the
IRTF recorded
pieces of the famous comet
Shoemaker-Levy 9 plunge into
Jupiter. Last year, the
IRTF
recorded
an outburst of a volcano on Jupiter's moon
Io.
IRTF's
observational successes outside our Solar System include
understanding the infrared emission of
dust and
Pre-Main
Sequence stars and even the
identification
of faint galaxies.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
