WEBVTT

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[dramatic percussion music]

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- WELCOME
TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST, JUSTIN TULLY.

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REMEMBER THOSE OBSERVATORIES

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ON THE TOP OF MAUNA KEA
IN HAWAII?

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WELL, THERE ARE ACTUALLY 13

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CURRENTLY OPERATING
NEAR THE SUMMIT.

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NINE ARE USED FOR OPTICAL
AND INFRARED ASTRONOMY.

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"OPTICAL" MEANS VISIBLE LIGHT,

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SO IT'D BE MORE LIKE
WHAT YOU'RE USED TO SEEING

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THROUGH A TELESCOPE.

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AND INFRARED ASTRONOMY

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LOOKS AT THE INFRARED
RADIATION

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EMITTED FROM OBJECTS
IN THE UNIVERSE.

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ONE OBSERVATORY
IS USED FOR RADIO ASTRONOMY,

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WHICH MEANS IT'S STUDYING
THE RADIO WAVES

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EMITTED BY STELLAR SOURCES.

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AND THREE OF THE OBSERVATORIES

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ARE USED
FOR SUBMILLIMETER ASTRONOMY.

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THAT'S SUBMILLIMETER ASTRONOMY.

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THE SUBMILLIMETER WAVE BAND
OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

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IS BETWEEN THE FAR-INFRARED
AND MICROWAVE WAVE BANDS.

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SO THERE ARE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS
OF TELESCOPES ON MAUNA KEA,

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BUT THE ONE WE'RE GOING
TO LOOK AT IS OPERATED BY NASA,

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THE INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY,
OR IRTF.

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LIKE THE NAME SUGGESTS,

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IT'S USED
FOR INFRARED ASTRONOMY,

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AND THIS TELESCOPE
HOSTS A MIRROR

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THAT IS THREE METERS
IN DIAMETER.

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ORIGINALLY, IT WAS BUILT
TO SUPPORT THE VOYAGER MISSIONS

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TO LOCATE AND STUDY

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THE BOUNDARIES
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM,

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BUT ITS DUTIES HAVE GROWN,

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AND NOW IT'S THE UNITED STATES'
NATIONAL FACILITY

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FOR INFRARED ASTRONOMY.

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SO IT PROVIDES SUPPORT
FOR PLANETARY,

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SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND DEEP-SPACE APPLICATIONS.

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INFRARED ASTRONOMY
IS IMPORTANT.

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IT WILL PROVIDE A GREAT DEAL
OF INFORMATION

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ON HOW THE UNIVERSE WAS FORMED

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AND WHAT THE EARLY UNIVERSE
WAS LIKE.

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HOW DOES THAT WORK?

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WE CAN'T TRAVEL TO THE STARS

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OR TAKE SAMPLES
FROM OTHER GALAXIES,

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SO SCIENTISTS USE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION

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TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT FARAWAY OBJECTS.

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ASTRONOMERS USE WAVELENGTHS
OTHER THAN VISIBLE LIGHT,

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LIKE INFRARED,
TO STUDY THESE OBJECTS

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AND THEN APPLY
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

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TO CODE THE LIGHT WITH ARBITRARY
COLORS THAT WE CAN SEE.

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THE INVISIBLE
BECOMES VISIBLE.

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IN SPACE,
THERE ARE MANY REGIONS

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THAT ARE HIDDEN
FROM OPTICAL TELESCOPES

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BECAUSE OF THE DENSE CLOUDS
OF GAS AND DUST.

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BUT THE LONGER WAVELENGTH
OF INFRARED RADIATION

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CAN PASS THROUGH
THE DUSTY REGIONS

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WITHOUT BEING SCATTERED.

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WE KNOW THAT OUR UNIVERSE
IS EXPANDING

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AND MOST GALAXIES ARE MOVING
AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.

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ASTRONOMERS HAVE DISCOVERED

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THAT THE FARTHER AWAY
THE GALAXY IS,

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THE FASTER IT'S MOVING.

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AN INTERESTING THING HAPPENS
TO THE LIGHT

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COMING FROM THESE GALAXIES.

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THE WAVELENGTHS GET LONGER

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AND SHIFT TOWARD THE RED PART
OF THE SPECTRUM.

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THIS REDSHIFT IS KNOWN
AS THE DOPPLER EFFECT.

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BY THE TIME MUCH OF THE LIGHT
FROM DISTANT GALAXIES

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REACHES OUR TELESCOPES,

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THE ONLY WAY TO STUDY IT
IS WITH INFRARED TECHNOLOGY.

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AND COOL STARS,

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THOSE THAT BURN AT TEMPERATURES
COOLER THAN OUR OWN SUN,

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DO NOT PUT OUT ENOUGH LIGHT
TO BE SEEN.

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BUT ALL OBJECTS
EMIT HEAT SIGNATURES,

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AND INFRARED TELESCOPES
HELP ASTRONOMERS DETECT

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THESE OTHERWISE INVISIBLE
OBJECTS IN SPACE.

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AND SPEAKING OF COOL,

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IN SPITE OF THE VERY COOL
TEMPERATURES ON THE MOUNTAIN,

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STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON THE IRTF
INCLUDES CAMERAS

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THAT ARE COOLED
WITH LIQUID NITROGEN.

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THIS IS IMPORTANT
BECAUSE THE TELESCOPE

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IS TRYING TO PICK UP
THE INFRARED

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OR "HEAT" SIGNATURES
OF OBJECTS IN SPACE,

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KIND OF LIKE INFRARED CAMERAS
USED BY FIREMEN

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IN SEARCH-AND-RESCUE
OPERATIONS.

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COOLING THE CAMERA HELPS REDUCE
THE EXTERNAL HEAT INTERFERENCE

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AND MAKES THE CAMERA
MORE SENSITIVE.

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ANOTHER FACT
ABOUT THIS TELESCOPE IS,

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IT'S BEING USED BY ASTRONOMERS
AROUND THE WORLD,

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AND THEY NEVER HAVE
TO LEAVE HOME TO USE IT.

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THIS TELESCOPE IS FITTED
WITH A VARIETY

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OF ELECTRONIC CAMERAS
AND SPECTROGRAPHS

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AND HAS BEEN SET UP
SO THAT IT CAN BE CONTROLLED

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FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

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THROUGH A HIGH-SPEED
INTERNET CONNECTION.

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ASTRONOMERS FROM AROUND
THE WORLD SUBMIT PROPOSALS

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TELLING NASA WHY THEY NEED
TO USE THE INFRARED TELESCOPE.

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IF THEIR PROPOSAL IS CHOSEN,
THE ASTRONOMER

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CAN ACTUALLY SIT IN THEIR OFFICE
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

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AND CONTROL THE SCOPE
WITH THE CLICK OF A MOUSE

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WHILE WATCHING IMAGES
BEING CAPTURED

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RIGHT ON THEIR
COMPUTER MONITOR,

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JUST AS THEY WOULD IF THEY
WERE ON THE MOUNTAINTOP.

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THAT PUTS A WHOLE NEW SPIN
ON REMOTE SENSING.

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THAT'S ALL FOR NOW.
I'M JUSTIN TULLY.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING,

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AND WE'LL CATCH YOU NEXT TIME
ON "NASA LAUNCHPAD."