What was the Herschel Space Observatory?
Q: What was the Herschel Space Observatory?
A: The Herschel Space Observatory was a space observatory built by the European Space Agency (ESA).
Q: Who was Herschel named after?
A: Herschel was named after Sir William Herschel, the discoverer of the infrared spectrum, double stars, and planet Uranus.
Q: What could the Herschel Observatory record in space?
A: The Herschel Observatory could record ('see') the coldest and dustiest objects in space, such as dusty galaxies just starting to form new stars.
Q: How big was the mirror in the Herschel Space Observatory?
A: The Herschel Space Observatory had a single mirror of 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) in diameter.
Q: When was the Herschel Space Observatory launched?
A: The Herschel Space Observatory was carried into orbit in May 2009.
Q: Where was the Herschel Space Observatory located?
A: The Herschel Space Observatory was located at the second Lagrangian point (L2) of the Earth-Sun system, 1,500,000 kilometres (930,000 miles) from the Earth, where gravity balances and the object stays in place.
Q: What were the four main topics that the Herschel Observatory was designed to investigate?
A: The Herschel Observatory was designed to investigate four main topics: the formation of stars and galaxies, the evolution of galaxies, the chemical composition of stars and their atmospheres, and the formation of planetary systems.
