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Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer

(infrared space telescope aimed at an all-sky survey)

Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a satellite launched in December 2009, aimed at a 1 year mission. The aim was to image the whole sky in infrared, aiming to observe stellar nurseries and to detect asteroids. A reason to use infrared is that it penetrates dust.

It surveyed four wavelengths in the infrared:

WISE LabelBand
w13.4 micrometers
w24.5 micrometers
w312 micrometers
w422 micrometers

Differences in these, e.g., w1-w2 and w2-w3 are useful in identifying obscured active galactic nuclei.

The spacecraft was put in hibernation while still operational when the intended mission was completed. It was revived for a new mission, NEOWISE (for Near Earth Object WISE), specifically to search for near-Earth objects.

(telescope,NASA,reflector,spacecraft,near-Earth objects,all sky)
3.4μm88THz365meVbeginWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
22μm14THz56meVendWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
WISEWISE 1506+7027Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer 

Referenced by:
hot DOG
Luhman 16
Scholz's Star
TW Hydrae association (TWA)
Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE)
WISE 0855-0714
WISE 1506+7027