Launched in December 2009, the NEOWISE telescope completed its mission on July 31, 2024, and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere on November 2. However, its contribution to science has remained quite significant. The other day, the NEOWISE team published new images that had not been published anywhere before.
How WISE became NEOWISE
The telescope was originally called WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) and observed space for two years. It was put into hibernation in 2011, but was activated in 2013 under a new name, NEOWISE, focusing on finding asteroids that could threaten Earth.
During its 15 years of operation, the telescope has conducted 21 full sky scans, taken nearly 27 million images, and examined about 3000 near-Earth objects (10% of their known population). The telescope observed parts of the sky more than 220 times, creating an unprecedented database. Such studies have helped scientists study changes in space objects over time, which opens new horizons for science.
“Observations of the changing skies over 15 years have allowed us to study both asteroids near Earth and the most distant quasars,” said Joe Masiero, the mission’s deputy principal investigator. Thanks to NEOWISE data, scientists have gained insight into the evolution of cosmic bodies and their nature.
The last object examined by the telescope before it was completed was asteroid 2007 LV8, which has been observed more than 100 times.
NEOWISE’s legacy
For the first two years of the mission, when the telescope operated as WISE, it collected many images of the cosmos, some of which have not been published. Completing the project, the NEOWISE team has revealed new photos, creating access to most of the archive.
“These images showcase the beauty of the infrared sky. We selected the most interesting ones to show to the public,” said Robert Hurt, IPAC imaging scientist. The team selected six new, previously unknown images to grace the farewell phase of the mission.
The telescope’s work is an important contribution to space science. “NEOWISE data will be a valuable resource for researchers of future generations,” added Joe Masiero.
The NEOWISE mission not only enriched knowledge of space, but also demonstrated how innovative technologies can unlock the mysteries of the Universe.
We previously reported on how NASA said goodbye to the NEOWISE telescope.
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