The Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS)was a joint scientific
project sponsored by the United Kingdom, the United States, and
the Netherlands. IRAS was launched in January of 1983 and ended
its mission ten months later. IRAS' mission was to map the
entire sky at infrared wavelengths. It was equipped with a
special infrared telescope to scan the sky. IRAS was the first
satellite to discover a comet. The comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock was
named for the probe and two co-discovering astronomers. During
its lifespan, IRAS observed 20,000 galaxies, 130,000 stars and
90,000 other space objects and star clusters. IRAS detectors
found a disk of dusty material and fine rock around the star
Vega which may be an early stage in the formation of a new solar
system. IRAS' most famous discovery was that of a new type of
galaxy, a starburst galaxy. In starburst galaxies, new stars are
forming more rapidly than in other types of galaxies.
Additional information available at
"http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/iras/"
Group: Platform_Details
Entry_ID: IRAS
Group: Platform_Identification
Platform_Category: Solar/Space Observation Satellites
Short_Name: IRAS
Long_Name: Infrared Astronomy Satellite
End_Group
Group: Synonymous_Platform_Names
Short_Name: IRAS
End_Group
Group: Platform_Associated_Instruments
Short_Name: OPTICAL TELESCOPES
Short_Name: LRS - Low Resolution Spectrometer
Short_Name: CPC - Chopped Photometric Channel
End_Group
Group: Orbit
Orbit_Inclination: 99 degrees
Perigee: 884 km
Apogee: 903 km
End_Group
Creation_Date: 2008-01-14
Online_Resource: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/I/IRAS.html
Sample_Image: http://www.daviddarling.info/images/IRAS.jpg
Group: Platform_Logistics
Launch_Date: 1983-01-23
Launch_Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, USA
Primary_Sponsor: NASA
End_Group
End_Group (en)