Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer

Definition

Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a NASA space telescope launched in 2009 to map the entire sky in infrared light. It helps detect and study objects such as asteroids, stars, and distant galaxies by observing their heat emissions.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. WISE operates in the infrared spectrum, focusing on wavelengths between 3.4 and 22 micrometers.
2. The mission's primary goal was to create an all-sky survey in infrared light, capturing images of millions of celestial objects.
3. WISE discovered the first known Earth Trojan asteroid in 2010.
4. In its "NEOWISE" phase starting in 2013, it focused on identifying Near-Earth Objects (NEOs).
5. The telescope uses a cryogenically-cooled solid hydrogen system to keep its instruments at extremely low temperatures necessary for infrared observations.

Review Questions

Related terms

Spitzer Space Telescope:

An earlier NASA mission that also used infrared technology to study celestial objects but with different objectives and capabilities

Near-Earth Object (NEO): Any small Solar System body whose orbit brings it into proximity with Earth's orbit

Cryogenics: The branch of physics dealing with the production and effects of very low temperatures