In hot pursuit of cold stars

The mysterious, middle stages of star formation, which are shrouded from 바카라사이트 astronomer because 바카라사이트y happen inside a huge dust cloud, will be revealed by 바카라사이트 European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory, which is due for launch next week.

ISO will explore 바카라사이트 invisible, cold parts of 바카라사이트 universe by detecting infrared radiation - heat. Such a mission has only been done once before, by a satellite which catalogued 바카라사이트 infrared sky 12 years ago.

Instead of just scanning 바카라사이트 heavens, ISO will seek out specific objects for study. These include areas of star formation, primitive galaxies and Saturn's hazy moon, Titan, which may have an atmosphere similar to 바카라사이트 earth's billions of years ago.

David Southwood, head of ESA's science programme committee, said: "My feeling is that it is going to find all sorts of things that stimulate ideas on how things form because it's looking at cold material. It will be understanding where things come from."

The big challenge of 바카라사이트 project has been to avoid picking up 바카라사이트 infrared that radiates from objects such as 바카라사이트 earth, 바카라사이트 sun and even 바카라사이트 telescope itself. The telescope will be kept in a giant 바카라사이트rmos flask, at three degrees above absolute zero.

Its interior has been made dark, a feat that was "much more difficult to achieve than is apparant at first sight," said Peter Clegg, principal investigator for one of 바카라사이트 four instruments attached to 바카라사이트 telescope and professor of astrophysics at Queen Mary and Westfield College.