| Abstract from DBPedia | Infrared astronomy is a sub-discipline of astronomy which specializes in the observation and analysis of astronomical objects using infrared (IR) radiation. The wavelength of infrared light ranges from 0.75 to 300 micrometers, and falls in between visible radiation, which ranges from 380 to 750 nanometers, and submillimeter waves. Infrared astronomy began in the 1830s, a few decades after the discovery of infrared light by William Herschel in 1800. Early progress was limited, and it was not until the early 20th century that conclusive detections of astronomical objects other than the Sun and Moon were made in infrared light. After a number of discoveries were made in the 1950s and 1960s in radio astronomy, astronomers realized the information available outside the visible wavelength range, and modern infrared astronomy was established. Infrared and optical astronomy are often practiced using the same telescopes, as the same mirrors or lenses are usually effective over a wavelength range that includes both visible and infrared light. Both fields also use solid state detectors, though the specific type of solid state photodetectors used are different. Infrared light is absorbed at many wavelengths by water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere, so most infrared telescopes are at high elevations in dry places, above as much of the atmosphere as possible. There have also been infrared observatories in space, including the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory, and more recently the James Webb Space Telescope.赤外線天文学（せきがいせんてんもんがく、英語：infrared astronomy）は天文学や天体物理学の一分野で、赤外線の波長で観測できる天体を扱うものである。 可視光線はおよそ400nm（紫）から700nm（赤）までの波長域に分布するが、700nm よりも波長が長く、マイクロ波よりも短い波長の電磁波を赤外線と呼ぶ（赤外線の波長域の中でも比較的長波長のものはサブミリ波と呼ぶ場合もある）。 研究者は赤外線天文学をの一部として分類している。これは、赤外線天文学でも可視光の天文学と同様の観測装置（鏡、レンズ、固体撮像素子など）が通常用いられるためである。 (Source: http://dbpedia.org/resource/Infrared_astronomy) |
