It brought us snaps of galactic bubbles, stellar nurseries and Saturn鈥檚 watery rings in all their cosmic glory, but the time has come for the Herschel space telescope to say goodbye. A dried-up helium supply means it has snapped its last picture.
Launched in 2009 by the European Space Agency (ESA), Herschel is the largest infrared telescope launched into space, offering astronomers 鈥渁 new view of the hitherto hidden universe鈥�, according to ESA researcher G枚ran Pilbratt. Among its many discoveries were dust-choked galaxies normally hidden from view and water on Jupiter.
To detect temperature changes just a few degrees above absolute zero, Herschel had to cool its instruments with liquid helium. It left Earth with 2000 litres of the stuff, but this has gradually boiled away into space.
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After a month of tests, the telescope will be parked in orbit around the sun. View some of its best snaps at 鈥�Wet and wild views from the Herschel space telescope鈥�.
