Herschel Space Observatory

Science & Technology Facilities Council

Herschel 2.indd 1 03/03/2011 15:46 The Herschel Space Observatory was launched in May 2009, and is Herschel is making the best ever measurements of the gas and dust now 1.5 million km away from Earth. It’s main mirror is 3.5 metres in between the stars in our Galaxy. In visible light, this dust appears dark diameter, the largest ever launched. Herschel is led by the European and opaque, but Herschel’s instruments work at much longer infrared Space Agency, but is an international consortium involving dozens of wavelengths. To Herschel, the dust is no longer dark but glows with its institutions from Europe and North America. own light, producing stunning images.

The Andromeda Galaxy The Milky Way GOODS-North Cassiopeia A

The Rosette Nebula Distant Galaxies in Draco Star Formation in Aquila CW Leonis

After our own Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy is Cassiopeia A is all that remains of a massive star Further Information the nearest large galaxy, at just 2.5 million light years which exploded hundreds of years ago, in an event away. Herschel can study the dust in Andromeda in called a supernova. The explosion was not observed, great detail, which helps astronomers understand our most likely due to the thick clouds of dust which lie To find out more about the Herschel mission try The Science and Technology Facilities Council Herschel own Galaxy even better. in between it and the Earth. Herschel sees the dust the following resources: operates world-class, large-scale research facilities; supports scientists and engineers in our Galaxy, shown in red, as well as the material WORLD WIDE WEB SITES world-wide; funds researchers in universities and Herschel UK outreach site: provides strategic scientifc advice to government. Uncovering the The dust is seen in the visible light image (top left) thrown out by the supernova itself. http://herschel.cf.ac.uk The Council’s Science in Society unit offers a as dark lanes, but Herschel can highlight the bright wide range of support for teachers, scientists and early Universe Herschel & Planck Facebook site: http: communicators to facilitate greater engagement //pl-pl.facebook.com/pages/Herschel-and-Planck- with STFC science which includes astronomy, ring of dust, which is around 75,000 light years in The ring of gas and dust contains enough material Astronomy/30562814194 space science, particle physics and nuclear diameter. This may be a result of the Andromeda to form 25,000 Earths, but this is still only a fraction ESA Education website: physics: www.esa.int/education Galaxy’s violent past. of the mass of the Sun. Supernovae are one possible FOR SCHOOLS ESA Herschel overview: • Free Publications and resource guides suitable source of all the dust we see. www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Herschel/index.html for teaching ages 10-18. We see the disc of our own Milky Way edge-on, and ESA Herschel in-depth: http://sci.esa.int/ • Funding for projects and school visits. science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=16 look through the spiral arms. Herschel is mapping the The star “CW Leonis” is a massive star nearing the • A Moon rock and meteorite loan scheme. edge-on disc of our Galaxy, showing the gas and dust Cardiff University’s SPiRE instrument page: www. end of its life. It is throwing off its outer layers. In astro.cf.ac.uk/research/instr/projects/?page=spire • Visits to STFC’s UK laboratories in Cheshire, Oxfordshire and Edinburgh plus CERN in Geneva. in intricate detail, such as the region shown on the 2009, Herschel discovered that water vapour is Rutherford Appleton Laboratory’s • Researchers in Residence. Teachers are placed right. Bright regions contain clusters of young stars, being formed much closer to the star than previously SPiRE instrument page: www.spire.rl.ac.uk/ in partnership with young scientists who have which create waves and bubbles in the remaining gas been trained to support the teacher, act as role thought, at temperatures approaching 1000 degrees. ESA Astronomy Podcast science @ ESA episode 3: models and introduce their research. and dust, leading to more stars being born. Herschel: http://astronomy2009.esa.int/science-e/ www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=44073 Go to www.stfc.ac.uk/teachers Herschel also observes much more distant galaxies,

BOOKS For further information telephone 01793 442175 In these images, blue material is warmer, being seen when the Universe was only a fraction of its Stardust John Gribbin heated by stars within, while red material is cooler current age. Around 10 billion years ago, galaxies Penguin, 2001 and more diffuse. The Rosette Nebula shows gas and were very different from our own, forming stars at a Galaxy dust forming new stars in dense clumps, while being much higher rate. Herschel is helping to understand Stuart Clark Quercus Publishing, 2009 swept back by the intense radiation from young, hot how they have evolved over cosmic time. In STFC publishes information on a variety of topics stars off to the right of the image. The dust forms the images above. each spot is a distant galaxy, related to physics and astronomy, to help increase public awareness of the UK’s achievements in pillars which are heated by the intense light. containing billions of stars. science and technology. Find out more by visiting the STFC website: www.stfc.ac.uk Science & Technology Facilities Council

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