Infrared TelescopesBy Aaron, Laria, and Nicholas

How do they work?Infrared telescopes by seeing infrared light

and detecting what is around it by the heat that stars and celestial objects radiate.

All objects radiate some heat unless they are at absolute zero. Depending on the telescope or used device it becomes different colors at certain intervals. For example black is the coldest and white is the hottest.

Why to we use infrared telescopes?Infrared radiation is heat. It is radiation in

electromagnet that is at longer wavelengths then light we usually see with our naked eye. We can’t see it but we can feel it, for example on a sunny day.

Infrared astronomy allows astronauts and astrophysicists the ability to measure the temperature of planetary bodies and stars and whatnot.

What do infrared telescopes need to function properly? Infrared telescopes must be built to minimize

the amount of heat generated by the telescope itself.

Since infrared telescopes emit a ton of heat, they need to be shielded from the heat by people containing them (or at least the ground-based telescopes) by containing them in liquid nitrogen.

Infrared telescopes need electricity to function at all.

Infrared light reciever

Pros and Cons:Pros ConsWe can see how warm

celestial objects are.Would be used to detect

foreign life forms.Smaller than other

telescopes.

Infrared telescopes need to be in a cold place if not artificially chilled.

Produces a lot of heat on its own because of the heat making the image inaccurate.

Infrared telescopes are hard to use on land because of the heat in the atmosphere blocking a clear viewing.

Examples of Infrared TelescopesThe Spitzer Space Telescope was the fourth

and final of the NASA Great Observatories program.

There are two observatories on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. They are at an altitude of 4205 meters.

Kuiper Airborne Observatory, which operated from 1974 to 1995.

Infrared Observatory Picture

Telescope Pictures

Bibliography Brasil, C. (n.d.). Chavals. Retrieved 1 24, 2013, from Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chavals/3656263494/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Farlex. (n.d.). Infrared Telescope. Retrieved 1 28, 2013, from The Free

Dictionary: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/infrared+telescope Massey, D. R. (n.d.). Glorious Orion: UKIRT Helps Reveal Chaotic and

Overcrowded Stellar Nursery. Retrieved 1 29, 2013, from Outreach Jach Hawaii: http://outreach.jach.hawaii.edu/pressroom/2009_orion/

NASA. (n.d.). PIA04267: SIRTF and the Milky Way, an Artist's Concept. Retrieved 1 29, 2013, from Nasa.gov: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_27_prt.htm

Ogilvie, P. (n.d.). How Does an Infrared Telescope Work? Retrieved 1 28, 2013, from eHow: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4926827_infrared-telescope-work.html

The Tarantula Nebula. (n.d.). Retrieved 1 25, 2013, from Spitzer.CalTech.edu: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1121-ssc2004-01a-The-Tarantula-Nebula

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Spitzer Space Telescope. Retrieved 1 28, 2013, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitzer_Space_Telescope

CreditsLaria: Telescope artistry, researcher, PowerPoint editorNicholas: PowerPoint designer, researcherAaron: Researcher, Bibliography, Telescope observatory artist