Herschel Space Observatory

The Herschel Space Observatory was a European Space Agency mission that studied the universe in far-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths from 2009 to 2013.

Herschel Space Observatory instruments: Herschel’s three instruments were the HIFI, PACS, and SPIRE scientific payloads. Together they delivered spectroscopy and imaging across the observatory’s far-infrared and submillimeter range.
Star formation: Star formation is the process by which dense regions of gas and dust collapse into stars. Herschel traced the cold clouds and early stages that precede visible newborn stars.
European Space Agency: The European Space Agency is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates space research and missions among European states. ESA developed and operated Herschel as one of its cornerstone science missions.
Herschel discovers water vapor on Ceres: Water vapor on Ceres is a tenuous exosphere detected through observations of the dwarf planet. Herschel observations in 2012 provided the first direct evidence of water vapor around Ceres.
Lagrange point L2: Sun–Earth Lagrange point L2 is a gravitationally balanced region about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, opposite the Sun. Herschel operated near L2, where its orbit supported stable, shielded observations.
Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared: HIFI was a high-resolution spectrometer aboard Herschel, operating at far-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths. Its precise spectral measurements identified molecules and motions in cold astronomical gas.
Protoplanetary disk: A protoplanetary disk is a rotating disk of gas and dust surrounding a young star, where planets can form. Herschel measured water and other molecules in disks that supply material for planets.
Horizon 2000: Horizon 2000 was the European Space Agency’s long-term science program adopted in 1984. Herschel emerged from the program’s commitment to a large far-infrared space observatory.
Herschel finds water in Jupiter’s atmosphere: Water in Jupiter’s stratosphere is a layer of atmospheric water vapor above the planet’s main weather systems. Herschel mapped this water and linked much of it to the impact of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9.
Superfluid helium: Superfluid helium is liquid helium cooled below the lambda point, where it flows without viscosity. Herschel used superfluid helium to cool its instruments; depletion ended its science observations in 2013.

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