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Facts About Infrared Telescopes

The telescope is an object that allows the human eye to see things from a far off distance. Telescopes were thought to be invented by Hans Lippershey in 1608, and referred to as the "looker" or "kijker" in Dutch. According to Spacetoday.com, infrared astronomy began in the 1800s. It was found by accident when an Englishman found infrared radiation in the sunlight. However, the infrared telescope wasn't invented until the 1940s, during World War II.

Location
- According to the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, the best location for infrared telescopes is high in dry mountains. This keeps the telescope above the water vapor in our atmosphere, which absorbs infrared.
Design
- Both infrared telescopes and our atmosphere put out radiation that can interfere with infrared. The telescopes are cooled to very low temperatures to limit the thermal emission.
Survey
- The first infrared survey of the sky was done in the 1960s and covered 75% of the sky. The survey at Mount Wilson Observatory used liquid nitrogen cooled PbS detectors.
Size
- The Infrared Processing and Analysis Center also states that the largest number of infrared telescopes is on top of the volcano Mauna Kea, in Hawaii. The group is at an elevation of 13,796 feet.
New Horizons
- Due to infrared telescopes, we now know that the centers of almost all galaxies, even our own, emit high amounts of infrared.
Today
- Modern ground telescopes have been modified to use infrared detectors. Most of these also now use adaptive optics to create clearer and sharper images.

Astronomy