Nasa 'elated' after new telescope uncovers 'previously invisible space objects'

[Judi Lynn]

Nasa 'elated' after new telescope uncovers 'previously invisible space objects'
An array of previously “invisible” space objects have been discovered by one of Nasa's newest space telescopes, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), in just six months, officials said.

By Andrew Hough
Published: 8:00PM BST 18 Jul 2010

In what has left scientists at the space agency “elated”, the $320m (£195m) sky-mapping spacecraft has for the first time identified previously thousands of unseen space objects including stars, asteroids, dust clouds, comets and even a new galaxy.

Using technology to photograph the entire night sky one and a half times in infra-red light, Nasa said the telescope detected more than 25,000 new asteroids since beginning operations late last year.

Astronomy experts said almost 100 were considered "near Earth”, or within 30 million miles (48 million km). None, they added, posed any real threat to Earth.

The telescope also sighted 15 new comets and hundreds of potential brown dwarfs, or failed stars. It also confirmed the existence of 20 "dwars", including some of the coldest ever known.

WISE also detected what Nasa scientists believe is an ultra luminous galaxy, more than 10 billion light years away that formed from other colliding galaxies.

More:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7894247/Nasa-elated-after-new-telescope-uncovers-previously-invisible-space-objects.html