NASA’s NEOWISE telescope has completed its 15-year mission, marking the end of a remarkable journey in space exploration. The telescope, launched in 2009 as WISE and later reincarnated in 2013, has spent over a decade tracing the night sky to study small objects in our solar system – asteroids and comets.
The final data release from NEOWISE reveals new insights into near-Earth objects (NEOs), which have a world of information to offer in the ongoing quest for cosmic understanding. Over its operation, NEOWISE has had the rare opportunity to probe views of the same sky regions repeatedly, enabling astronomers to track down and analyze objects that changed their brightness or location.
Researchers from Caltech’s IPAC science center expressed their gratitude for the wealth of data gathered during the mission. “Being able to watch the changing sky for nearly 15 years has opened a new avenue for time-domain science,” said Joe Masiero, research scientist at IPAC and Deputy Principal Investigator of the mission.
The NEOWISE telescope has shed light on intriguing celestial objects like brown dwarfs and revealed patterns in large comet populations. One significant achievement was the characterization of over 3,000 near-Earth objects, equivalent to around 10% of the known population.
Researchers also highlighted the importance of NEOWISE’s data releases, which contain stunning images of our infrared sky. The final release includes an image of the California Nebula, a dusty region in the Milky Way that spans 100 light-years and is illuminated by a nearby massive star.
The legacy of NEOWISE is far from over, with researchers already looking forward to combining its data with new observations from future observatories like NEO Surveyor and SPHEREx. The wealth of discoveries provided by the telescope signifies that its impact will continue to be felt in the field of astronomy for years to come.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/final-stunning-photos-from-the-neowise-telescope-do-not-disappoint