Slide 1

Advantages of Space

Different phenomena produce different wavelength light

Ordinary stars: Mostly Visible light

Cool planets or dust clouds: Infrared light

Moving charged particles, cool molecules: Radio/millimeter waves

Very hot objects: X-Rays and Gamma Rays

Quasars: ALL wavelengths

Advantages of Space

Also, there is no atmospheric turbulence, and telescopes can be pointed very accurately and precisely. This provides good, stable images.

Space-Based Astronomy

NASA’s suite of “Great Observatories”

The Hubble Space Telescope

The Spitzer Space Telescope

The Chandra X-ray Observatory

(“Deceased”: The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory)

Other missions: XMM-Newton (w/ESA), FUSE, Galex, WMAP, many others

Future: James Webb Space Telescope, Astro-E2, SNAP, TPF, GLAST, Swift, LISA, Constellation-X

Technical phrase is “Lots and lots and lots.”

Slide 6

Hubble Vital Statistics

HST is in Low Earth Orbit (~600 km)

Primary is 2.4 meters

Launched in 1990

“Regularly serviced”

Cost ~$2+ billion

Suite of changing instruments

The Hubble Deep Field

Hubble’s Uncertain Future

Jan. 2004, NASA Director Sean O’Keefe announced it was too dangerous to service HST with a shuttle mission (no aborts).

Without regular service, HST will fail

Gyroscopes & Orbital Decay

Service also provides upgrades

Computers! Solar panels, etc.

Instruments! STIS just failed.

Waiting on the “Next Generation” Space Telescope (NGST) renamed the James Webb Telescope (more later)

Chandra X-ray Observatory

The Highest Tech Mirrors Ever!

Chandra is the first X-ray telescope to have image as sharp as optical telescopes.

A “Type 2” Hidden Quasar

Left: Chandra, X-rays. Right: optically normal galaxy.

X-rays can penetrate obscuring gas/dust.

Tycho’s Supernova Remnant

A Multiwavelength Look at Cygnus A

A merger-product, and powerful radio galaxy.

Crab Nebula Movie

Combining HST and Chandra:
The Crab Pulsar Wind

Chandra on the left, Hubble on the right.

Another HST, Chandra Combo

Galactic Winds get “Supersized” in NGC 3079

Nuclear starbursts and their resulting supernovas blow hot gas out from the core

XMM-Newton

ESA lead X-ray mission.

Resolution, is good, but not Chandra Good

Sensitivity and field of view are better.

Great for surveys and observations of, e.g., Galaxy Clusters

The Power of the Infrared

Spitzer Space Telescope

Heir to 1980s IRAS mission.

Mid to far IR.

Only 60 cm, Earth-trailing orbit, 5 year lifetime.

Imaging and mid-R spectroscopy.

DUST is important!

Spitzer Space Telescope

Dust, in the optical, HIDES light.

Dust in the mid/far infrared RADIATES light.

Star-forming regions look different, inverted in the infrared!

Spitzer Space Telescope

Discovered by a Wyoming grad student and professor. The “Cowboy Cluster” – an overlooked Globular Cluster.

Kepler’s Supernova with all three of NASA’s Great Observatories

Just 400 years ago: (Oct. 9, 1604)

Then a bright, naked eye object (no telescopes)

It’s still blowing up – now 14 light years wide and expanding at 4 million mph.

There’s material there at MANY temperatures, so many wavelengths are needed to understand it.

FUSE

Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe

The Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission
(Scheduled launch: November 8, 2004)

Gamma-Ray/X-ray Burst localizer

Will provide good, fast spatial coordinates for afterglow studies

Enigmatic sources, GRBs, and will help us figure out what they are (some are supernovas, but not all).

Terrestrial Planet Finder

James Webb Space Telescope

More than twice the diameter of Hubble.

Optimized for the red and infrared.

Designed to study first stars, high-z universe.

Multi-wavelength Astronomy

A Shameless Plug to Display during Q&A…


	Different phenomena produce different wavelength light
		Ordinary stars: Mostly Visible light
		Cool planets or dust clouds: Infrared light
		Moving charged particles, cool molecules: Radio/millimeter waves
		Very hot objects: X-Rays and Gamma Rays
		Quasars: ALL wavelengths



	Also, there is no atmospheric turbulence, and telescopes can be pointed very accurately and precisely. This provides good, stable images.


	NASA’s suite of “Great Observatories”
		The Hubble Space Telescope
		The Spitzer Space Telescope
		The Chandra X-ray Observatory
		(“Deceased”: The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory)
	Other missions: XMM-Newton (w/ESA), FUSE, Galex, WMAP, many others
	Future: James Webb Space Telescope, Astro-E2, SNAP, TPF, GLAST, Swift, LISA, Constellation-X

	Technical phrase is “Lots and lots and lots.”


	HST is in Low Earth Orbit (~600 km)
	Primary is 2.4 meters
	Launched in 1990
	“Regularly serviced”
	Cost ~$2+ billion
	Suite of changing instruments


	Jan. 2004, NASA Director Sean O’Keefe announced it was too dangerous to service HST with a shuttle mission (no aborts).
	Without regular service, HST will fail
		Gyroscopes & Orbital Decay
	Service also provides upgrades
		Computers! Solar panels, etc.
		Instruments! STIS just failed.
	Waiting on the “Next Generation” Space Telescope (NGST) renamed the James Webb Telescope (more later)


	Chandra is the first X-ray telescope to have image as sharp as optical telescopes.


	Left: Chandra, X-rays. Right: optically normal galaxy.
	X-rays can penetrate obscuring gas/dust.


	Galactic Winds get “Supersized” in NGC 3079
	Nuclear starbursts and their resulting supernovas blow hot gas out from the core


	ESA lead X-ray mission.
	Resolution, is good, but not Chandra Good
	Sensitivity and field of view are better.
	Great for surveys and observations of, e.g., Galaxy Clusters


	Heir to 1980s IRAS mission.
	Mid to far IR.
	Only 60 cm, Earth-trailing orbit, 5 year lifetime.
	Imaging and mid-R spectroscopy.
	DUST is important!


	Dust, in the optical, HIDES light.
	Dust in the mid/far infrared RADIATES light.
	Star-forming regions look different, inverted in the infrared!


	Discovered by a Wyoming grad student and professor. The “Cowboy Cluster” – an overlooked Globular Cluster.


	Just 400 years ago: (Oct. 9, 1604)
	Then a bright, naked eye object (no telescopes)
	It’s still blowing up – now 14 light years wide and expanding at 4 million mph.
	There’s material there at MANY temperatures, so many wavelengths are needed to understand it.


	Gamma-Ray/X-ray Burst localizer
	Will provide good, fast spatial coordinates for afterglow studies
	Enigmatic sources, GRBs, and will help us figure out what they are (some are supernovas, but not all).


	More than twice the diameter of Hubble.
	Optimized for the red and infrared.
	Designed to study first stars, high-z universe.