A space observatory or a space telescope is a telescope that is located in the cosmos to observe and study distant galaxies, planets, stars and other objects in the outer space. The first telescope was launched in 1961 and since then, there have been a constant increase in the number of telescopes in the outer space. Every country wants their own space observatory so that they also have first-hand knowledge of the space.
When it comes to space telescopes, there are many different types of telescopes that are mostly grouped together by their frequency ranges like x-ray, gamma ray, infrared, ultraviolet, visible, radio and microwave.
Let us talk about the types microwave, particle detection and visible light. All the telescopes in this list are still active and are some of the most important telescopes of their type.
Odin
Image source- SlidePlayer
The first telescope is Odin, which is a microwave space telescope. A microwave telescope is mainly used to study and measure the cosmological parameters from the CMB. Odin is the only active microwave space telescope in the outer space, which makes it very important. It was launched on 20 February 2001 by the Swedish Space Corporation. Until spring of 2007, this Swedish satellite was used in the study of star formation. Since then, it has been used to make observations in aeronomy as well as exploring the effects of global warming and the depletion go the ozone layer.
IBEX
IBEX or Interstellar Boundary Explorer is a satellite in the Earth’s orbit that uses ENAs to captures the interaction are between the interstellar space and the Solar System. It was launched by NASA on 19 October 2008 as a part of the Small Explorer Program. IBEX shifted to a new orbit in June of 2011, which raised its perigee to 30,000 kms. Due to the new orbit, the telescope does not come too near the moon. It also uses less fuel overall, which increases its lifespan by more than 40 years.
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02)
Just like IBEX, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer is also a particle detection telescope that is looking for electrons and cosmic rays that are emitted by our Sun, galaxy and extragalactic sources. AMS-02 is a module of a particle physics experiment that is mounted on the ISS. It is a detector the measures and studies antimatter in cosmic rays. This information is required to solve some of the biggest mysteries related to the formation of our universe. The module was launched via Space Shuttle Endeavour on May 16, 2011. In just over 5 years since its installation, the module had recorded more than 90 billion cosmic ray events.
Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE)
Image source- eoPortal
The next particle detection space telescope in our list is Dark Matter Particle Explorer, which is also known as Wukong. It is a CAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences) satellite that was launched on December 17, 2015 on a Long March 2D rocket. It was China’s first space observatory ever. As the name suggests, it is used for detecting and exploring high energy gamma rays, cosmic ray ions and electrons, all in the search for dark matter.
Gaia
Image source- European Space Agency
Gaia is a visible light type of space telescope, which are the oldest form of astronomy. It observes the wavelengths of light from roughly 400 to 700 nanometers. These types of telescopes help provide higher resolution images of all astronomical objects. European Space Agency’s Gaia was launched in 2013 and will most likely be active until 2022. It was specially designed for measuring the distance, motion and position of stars with unparalleled accuracy. Its mission is to create the largest 3D space catalog with over 1 billion celestial objects.
Astrosat
The next visible light space telescope is Astrosat that was launched by Indian Space Research Organisation on September 28, 2015 on a PSLV-XL. It was India’s first multi-wavelength space observatory. Its scientific missions included the study of the variability of X-ray sources – periodic and non-periodic, multi-wavelength monitoring of intensity variations in different cosmic sources, sky surveys in the UV bands and hard X-ray and many others. The planned duration of the mission was 5 years; however, it has crossed that mark and is still active in the geocentric orbit.
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
The next space telescope in our list is the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). It is a visible light space observatory launched by NASA for its Explorers Program in 2018. It is especially designed to search for extrasolar planets using the transit method in a large area, approximately 400 times bigger than the area covered by the Kepler space telescope. The first light image captured from TESS was released for the public on 17 September, 2018. Even just over a year after its launch, TESS had already discovered 21 new planets and 850 potentials candidates that could be exoplanets.
Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat)
Image source- eoPortal
NEOSSat is a Canadian micro satellite funded by the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and the Canadian Space Agency. It was launched just last year on 25 February 2019. Its main mission is to search for IEO asteroids inside Earth’s orbit, including those in the Atira and Aten classes. It was also responsible for conducting various satellite tracking activities in a range of 15,000 to 40,000 km.
Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory
Image source- The University of Chicago
Previously known as the Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer, Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is a NASA space telescope that was designed to detect GRBs i.e. gamma ray bursts. Launched abroad Delta II rocket on 20 November 2004, the missions as developed jointly by U.S., UK and Italy. The mission was only planned for about 2 years. Since its launch, it has been 15 years, 11 months and 9 days and the telescope is still active. Its most notable detections are GRB 050509B, GRB 05904, GRB 060218 and SN 2008D amongst others.
Hubble Space Telescope
The last telescope on our list is the Hubble Space Telescope, one of the most important, if not the most important astronomical invention. It is also the most important space telescope in the outer space now, regardless of its type. It was launched in 1990 and was operated jointly by NASA and ESA. It not only observes in visible light, but also in ultraviolet, infrared and electromagnetic spectrum. Compared to other ground telescopes, it captures very high-resolution images with significantly lower background light. With the use of Hubble, scientists and astronomers have been able to identify the age of the universe, how it is expanding, black holes and various other discoveries related to our galaxy and solar system.
