Abstract

In 1983 the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) radically changed our view of the infrared sky. IRAS carried out an all-sky survey in four broad wavelength bands between 8 and 120μm, detecting about 250,000 sources. This survey detected new comets and dust bands in our solar system, discovered protostars and possible proto-planetary disks around near-by stars, generated detailed images of the entire galactic plane, and discovered extremely luminous infrared galaxies. The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) was designed to provide an enormous gain in our ability to explore in greater depth the infrared sky as revealed by IRAS, and to explore some of the most fundamental questions about the origin, evolution, and ultimate fate of the Universe.

© 1988 Optical Society of America