【#天文資訊】紅外線天文學
呢度有紅外線，嗰度都有紅外線。在疫情下，隨處都是紅外線探熱器。除了探熱，你們能想到紅外線的其他用途嗎？原來紅外線在天文學也非常有「地位」！
天文學家利用紅外線望遠鏡和探測器，觀測人類雙眼從可見光看不見的紅外宇宙，例如比較低溫和暗淡的天體，和在密集的氣體、塵埃中的原恆星。紅外線天文學更能協助我們研究年輕宇宙，揭示宇宙的奧秘。
現在有哪些紅外線天文望遠鏡呢？在部分在夏威夷的毛納基山的天文台，和在智利的阿塔卡瑪大型毫米及次毫米波陣列都能探測紅外線。由於紅外線會被地球大氣中的水氣吸收，這些望遠鏡都位於海拔較高和乾燥的地方。不過相比在地面受大氣層影響，直接把望遠鏡發射到太空更為理想。史匹哲太空望遠鏡和即將發射的詹姆斯．韋布太空望遠鏡都是紅外線太空望遠鏡。
你準備好跟上天文學家的腳步，用紅外線去探索宇宙的起源了嗎？
【#Astonomyinfo】Infrared Astronomy
Infrared thermometers here, infrared thermometers there. Under the pandemic, infrared thermometers are everywhere. Besides measuring temperature, can you think of other uses of infrared? Actually, infrared is important in astronomy!
Astronomers use infrared telescopes and detectors to observe the infrared Universe that is invisible to human eyes which can only see visible light. That “invisible” Universe includes some relatively cold and dim celestial objects and protostars situated in dense gas and dust. Moreover, infrared astronomy can help us study the young Universe and shed some light on other mysterious.
What infrared telescopes are out there? Some of the observatories on Mauna Kea in Hawaii and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile can detect infrared. As water vapour in the Earth's atmosphere absorbs infrared, infrared telescopes are located in high altitudes and dry places. In fact, it is better to launch telescopes into space so they are not affected by the atmosphere like on the ground. Spitzer Space Telescope and the to-be-launched James Webb Space Telescope are infrared space telescopes.
Are you ready to be on the astronomers’ track and use infrared to explore the origin of the Universe?
