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Description: An unseen stellar nursery comes into view in this Herschel image. Some 700 newly-forming stars are estimated to be crowded into these colourful filaments of dust. The complex is part of a mysterious ring of stars called Gould’s Belt. This image shows a dark cloud 1000 light-years away in the constellation Aquila, the Eagle. It covers an area 65 light-years across and is so shrouded in dust that no previous infrared satellite has been able to see into it. Now, thanks to Herschel’s superior sensitivity at the longest wavelengths of infrared, astronomers have their first picture of the interior of this cloud. Caption: Inside the dark heart of the Eagle. Credits: ESA and the SPIRE & PACS consortia, P. André (CEA Saclay) for the Gould’s Belt Key Programme Consortia
Description: This image shows the infrared emission from the young star Fomalhaut and the dust disc surrounding it, as recorded with ESA's Herschel Space Observatory at a wavelength of 70 micron. To explain the emission from Fomalhaut's debris disc, astronomers invoke a steady production of dust particles via comet collisions, with an average rate of 2000 daily collisions between comets of one kilometre across or, alternatively, of 2 daily collisions between 10-kilometre-diameter comets. Caption: Herschel’s image of Fomalhaut. Credits: ESA/Herschel/PACS/Bram Acke, KU Leuven, Belgium
Description: This is the most detailed image of the Andromeda Galaxy ever taken at far-infrared wavelengths. The Herschel infrared space telescope captured the image during Christmas 2010. The large rings of dust that encircle the centre of the galaxy may be the result of a smaller galaxy having collided with Andromeda some time in the past. Caption: Andromeda Galaxy seen in infrared. Credits: ESA/Herschel/PACS/SPIRE/J. Fritz, U. Gent
Description: RCW 120 is a galactic bubble with a large surprise. How large? At least 8 times the mass of the Sun. Nestled in the shell around this large bubble is an embryonic star that looks set to turn into one of the brightest stars in the Galaxy. The Galactic bubble is known as RCW 120. It lies about 4300 light-years away and has been formed by a star at its centre. The star is not visible at these infrared wavelengths but pushes on the surrounding dust and gas with nothing more than the power of its starlight. In the 2.5 million years the star has existed. It has raised the density of matter in the bubble wall so much that the quantity trapped there can now collapse to form new stars. Caption: The Galactic bubble RCW 120. Credits: ESA/PACS/SPIRE/HOBYS Consortia
Description: The Herschel telescope is a classic Cassegrain design with a 3.5-m primary mirror — the largest ever launched into space — and a smaller secondary mirror. This powerful telescope will allow astronomers to loohttps://www.cab.inta-csic.es/uploads/multimedia/20120727084054_RCW120_v03_2_H.gifk deep into space by detecting light emitted in the far-infrared and sub-millimetre regions of the spectrum. Earth's atmosphere prevents most of this light from reaching ground-based telescopes. From orbit around the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system, L2, 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, Herschel will provide unprecedented views of the Universe by bridging the gap between previous infrared observatories and ground-based radio telescopes. This picture of the satellite was taken during testing at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre, ESTEC, the Netherlands. Caption: Herschel Credits:ESA
Description: Herschel and Planck will be launched on an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in spring 2009. The satellites will separate shortly after launch and proceed to their respective orbits around the second Lagrange point of the Sun- Earth system, or L2. The boosters of the Ariane 5 will fire for just under 2.5 minutes and its main and upper stage engines for about 25 minutes, setting Herschel and then Planck on the path to L2. This artist’s impression shows the fairing of the Ariane 5 being ejected, with Herschel visible on top of Planck. Caption: Herschel-Planck fairing ejection. Credits: ESA (image by AOES Medialab)
Description: ESA’s Herschel infrared observatory has an unprecedented view on the cold universe, bridging the gap between what can be observed from the ground and earlier infrared space missions. Infrared radiation can penetrate the gas and dust clouds that hide objects from optical telescopes, looking deep into star-forming regions, galactic centres and planetary systems. Also cooler objects, such as tiny stars and molecular clouds, even galaxies enshrouded in dust that are barely emitting optical light, can be visible in the infrared. Caption: Artist's impression of Herschel Credits: ESA - C. Carreau
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