UNews - Institute for Space Imaging Science

Making the case for space exploration

trevor.kenney — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 19:07:15 +0000

A more effective way to give skin grafts to burned children. Advanced materials for producing safer and more robust airplanes and cars. A computer-assisted device for performing neurosurgery that is guided by real-time MRI brain scans. The potential to meet humankind’s growing energy needs through the safe production of nuclear power.

Dr. David Naylor says that probing the mysteries of the universe ultimately leads to countless direct and indirect benefits for society.

These are just a few examples of the many current and emerging innovations that have been made possible by space exploration, says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge astrophysicist Dr. David Naylor.

Naylor is a physics and astronomy professor at the U of L and a Board of Governors Research Chair. He is also the director of the Space Astronomy Division of the Institute for Space Imaging Science, a collaborative initiative between the U of L, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Over the last two decades, Naylor has led Canada’s involvement in the Herschel/SPIRE and SPICA/Safari space missions; previously, he worked at the European Space Agency on the ISO/LWS mission.

“With space exploration missions costing upwards of $10 billion, I’m often asked, ‘Why invest in space exploration when there are so many problems here on Earth?’”

As Naylor discussed as part of the U of L’s PUBlic Professor Series, probing the mysteries of the universe ultimately leads to countless direct and indirect benefits for society.

“There are literally tens of thousands of useful developments and inventions that have come out of space programs,” says Naylor. “Money that is spent on space research goes largely toward the salaries of talented individuals who make such things as rocket engines, life support systems, diagnostic instrumentation, electronics and communications systems. Out of their work come a whole variety of new technologies. When we do basic research in this area, industry can run with it in so many different directions."

The direction of Naylor’s own career in space research was determined more than 30 years ago when, after finishing his PhD in Physics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, he completed a research fellowship at a European Space Agency centre in the Netherlands. The experience resonated with his deep interest in the workings of the world, both on Earth and in the stars above us.

Since joining the U of L in 1981, he has established an internationally recognized research program in the area of experimental astrophysics. He has also actively recruited over 300 students to his laboratory, seven of whom who have gone on to become professors in their own right, three of whom hold research Chairs.

Among his most current projects is cryogenic testing of equipment destined for space to ensure it works at very low temperatures. The research will be performed in a new first-of-its-kind facility in Canada that just received $150,000 in funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. Cooling scientific instruments to extremely low temperatures is essential to realize the sensitivity limits of today’s state-of-the-art detectors. In turn, these instruments will allow astronomers to probe the farthest reaches of the universe, and answer fundamental questions such as how the first stars and galaxies formed.

As Naylor notes, many innovations have come about as a result of space research. This area of science has led to advancements in everything from laser eye surgery, to artificial limbs, to breast cancer detection, to water purification, to firefighting equipment.

A less tangible but also important benefit of space research, Naylor says, is the stronger respect gained for the Earth’s status as the universe’s only life-sustaining sphere, which he says can encourage us to more peacefully co-exist with each other and better protect the planet. As well, he says the insights gained from investigating outer space satisfy what he sees as a universal and unstoppable human instinct to better understand our world and our place within it.

“We are different from other animals, we have always had the exploration gene. Ever since people left the African savannah and spread into Europe, they have gone into every corner of the globe,” he says. “This exploration is something that’s a part of who we are...It helps us answer the bigger questions about how the universe and life began, how the world was created and whether we are alone.”

Herschel Mission Operating Phase Wrapping Up

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:54:37 +0000

A pioneering space imaging mission that sent a scientific instrument co-developed by a U of L researcher on a 1.5 million kilometre trip to deep space aboard the Herschel Space Observatory might be nearing its conclusion, but that doesn't mean the end of the project for the research team.

Dr. David Naylor (Physics and Astronomy) and his team of researchers lead Canada's contribution to the Herschel project on behalf of the Canadian Space Agency.

The instrument, called the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver ("SPIRE"), is one of three devices attached to the Herschel telescope system.

http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/herschel/default.asp

The helium-filled 'gas tank' cooling Herschel's equipment is expected to run dry over the next few weeks – an expected process.

As the coolant diminishes, equipment will stop working, but data transmission will continue until the bus-sized telescope parks itself in a permanent orbit around the sun.

What follows is a five-year post operation phase, where the data obtained during the mission are used to develop improved calibration algorithms to allow the most information to be extracted from the images. Eventually the data will be reprocessed and placed in an archive that will have legacy value.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Herschel_to_finish_observing_soon

The mission, launched on May 14, 2009 from the Ariane Spaceport in French Guyana, almost immediately began to shed new light on stars and galaxies by measuring a level of light called far-infrared.

Infrared light is invisible to the human eye, but travels well across the universe. Star forming regions emit light at these wavelengths and Herschel can detect it, capturing a wealth of detail such as heat signatures and chemical composition that help astronomers clearly see, for the first time, stars and whole galaxies that have previously remained hidden or only poorly understood.

"SPIRE picks up heat and chemical signals that are not visible by optical telescopes, and turns that data into the amazing images and information we and other scientists are using to learn more about the life and death of stars and galaxies," Naylor said.

In addition to literally 'clearing up' the images people have been using for two centuries to look into space, Naylor said the Herschel mission is confirming the existence of molecules on earth that originated in space.

"With SPIRE we can look at the big picture, or the very tiny picture, and gain a whole new insight into how stars live and die. The reason the imagery is so clear is that the space observatory sits more than 1.5 million km from earth, far from our atmosphere which absorbs virtually all radiation at which far-infrared wavelengths. Since the universe emits most of its energy at these wavelengths, Herschel provides us with our first comprehensive view of the universe."

The data and crisp images come from a device about as big as a large microwave oven that took more than 15 years and $100 million to develop – and has to function at a chilly -270C.

Also gratifying are the unique research collaborations that Naylor sees happening in the future. "Approximately one-third of the time available to researchers is guaranteed to those involved in key projects, and our time is included in that. We see the data here in Lethbridge before anyone else does. Scientists will be seeking our help in analyzing their data and the U of L group will be an important Canadian and international resource."

With an estimated output of up to 7,000 hours per year of data, there should be enough information to keep researchers busy for years – and some of that data flows through Blue Sky Spectroscopy, a Lethbridge-based, high tech spinoff company founded by Naylor in 2003, and now privately owned and operated.

Blue Sky is one of the three international Data Processing and Science Analysis Software centres for the SPIRE instrument. Data are downloaded daily from the spacecraft and stored on the Blue Sky servers.

Its highly qualified staff, all with postgraduate degrees, specialize in custom hardware and software spectroscopic solutions. Customers include NASA, ESA, and CSA, and many leading research institutes such as Harvard, Berkeley, Chicago, Max Planck and Cardiff, NIST, Centre d'Etudes Atomique, Paris, Institute National d'Optique, Canada to name a few.

What's next?

According to Naylor, more research that refines his current SPIRE device to make it suitable for yet another space mission currently under review by the Japanese, European and Canadian Space Agencies.

The project – SPICA, which stands for Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics – is a next-generation version of the SPIRE device, and would perform a similar function on a space telescope planned to launch in 2022.

Learn more about the SPICA project, here: http://research.uleth.ca/spica/index.php

Naylor said Herschel has been an overwhelming success, but its sensitivity is limited by its 'warm' telescope. "At a temperature of -80K (-193C) this may sound cold, but it limits the achievable sensitivity. By cooling a telescope to -6K (-267C) would increase the sensitivity by an astonishing factor of 100, allowing it to explore a volume of space 1000x greater than Herschel".

Building on the success of Herschel, the Japanese Space Agency JAXA is developing such a cooled telescope. ESA has joined forces with JAXA; in return for ESA providing the telescope and a ground station, European scientists will build one of the flight instruments.

Based on the Herschel experience, an imaging FTS similar to the ones Naylor's group has been building for over two decades has been selected and Naylor has been invited to join the international team that will build the instrument known as SAFARI.

The instrument is similar to one that the U of L team has recently commissioned on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, the world's largest submillimetre telescope located atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/JCMT/

The space-based project, SPICA – which stands for Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics – is a next-generation version of the SPIRE device, and would perform a similar function on a space telescope planned to launch in 2022.

In Alberta, a recent and significant collaboration has also been launched with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, where the U of L and the U of C and Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ have formed the Institute for Space Imaging Science (ISIS) to work together on projects that take space research further than Herschel technology, whether on the ground or in the atmosphere.

"By nature, physics researchers don't get too excited, but to see these images and know that we're looking at them in a whole new way, and further that we'll be able to share this information with the public so they can learn about the origins of the universe, is truly exciting," Naylor said.

He estimates that more than 200 papers have already been produced using data from the Herschel mission, and approximately half of those have Canadian co-authors.

The geographical distribution of SPIRE science within Canada is broad with authors affiliated with the following universities/institutions: UBC, Calgary, CFHT, HIA/UVic, Laval, Lethbridge, McMaster, Toronto, Waterloo. As well, a large group of researchers, including more than 30 post docs, undergrad and grad students have conducted research using SPIRE data.

An example of the type of imaging and discoveries made possible by the Herschel Space Observatory can be found here:

Comet 'Demolition Derby' Creates New Information About Solar System Origin

Compelling new images from the Herschel Space Telescope – parked more than 1.5 million kilometres from earth and facing into deep space -- are showing researchers what the formation of our solar system must have looked like at its early stages: a violent, comet-laden disk of debris where thousands of 1 km wide chunks of ice collide and spin around a young star.

http://oshi.esa.int/#list=/images.html?q=pillars;detail=image.html?id=89

The images are made possible in part by technology created by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers, and designed and built by an international consortium of space agencies, universities and research institutes.

http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=300&s=17611

Naylor, U of L researchers contribute to latest space find

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:47:44 +0000

Compelling new images from the Herschel Space Telescope – parked more than 1.5 million kilometres from earth and facing into deep space – are showing researchers what the formation of our solar system must have looked like at its early stages: a violent, comet-laden disk of debris where thousands of 1 km wide chunks of ice collide and spin around a young star.

The images are made possible in part by technology created by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers and designed and built by an international consortium of space agencies, universities and research institutes.

It would be a great 273rd birthday gift for Sir William Herschel, a legendary astronomer and researcher, and the telescope's namesake.

"One of the leading questions in astronomy is 'how do planets form around stars?'," says Dr. David Naylor, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Physics and Astronomy researcher, and designer of SPIRE ((S)pectral and (P)hotometric (I)maging (RE)ceiver), a device that gathers infrared images and converts them into tangible data that defines what far-off stars and solar systems are made of.

The European Space Agency's images, which were just released yesterday (Herschel's birthday) show spectacular images of the debris disk surrounding a nearby star, called Fomalhaut.

"The disk surrounding it is actually a very large and violent place, where we have counted more than 2000 comets more than 1 km wide crashing into each other – every day," adds Naylor. "The key idea is that, as the result of those crashes, the larger pieces form into an orbit over time. We can now see this all more clearly because Herschel gives us the best view yet of how our own solar system might have formed."

Fomalhaut is a young star, just a few hundred million years old, and twice as massive as the Sun. Its dust belt was discovered in the 1980s but Herschel's new images show it in much more detail than ever before.

The images can be viewed at this website.

Naylor, who also serves as the Space Astronomy Director of the Institute for Space Imaging Science (a partnership between the U of L, Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary) added that, while the debris disks have been well-known to exist and have been measured to some extent by past explorations, the level of detail of these large icy bodies can only be observed at the far infrared wavelengths detected by Herschel.

"In our solar system, apart from the well-known planets, moons and asteroids, there are many smaller small icy bodies that exist beyond the orbit of Neptune in what is known as the Kuiper belt. These icy bodies are thought to give rise to short period comets and to represent the physical conditions of the primordial solar nebula that existed before our sun was born," he says.

Naylor is the Canadian Principal Investigator of Herschel SPIRE and co-developer of the SPIRE instrument. His team was responsible for evaluating the performance of the instrument prior to launch and in orbit.

Naylor earns prestigious appointment

trevor.kenney — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:58:16 +0000

Dr. David Naylor (physics and astronomy, Institute for Space Imaging Science) has been appointed by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to the Joint Committee on Space Astronomy.

This six-panel committee advises the CSA on which space astronomy missions the CSA should become involved with. The committee recently approved continued participation in the JAXA/ESA SPICA mission, for which Naylor is the Canadian lead until the end of 2011.

The U of L is unique in that it is the lead Canadian institution on two international space missions, including a significant contribution to the imaging equipment aboard the Herschel Space Telescope, which Naylor was privileged to see launched last year.

For a look at the March issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Looking out to see in

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:40:59 +0000

As the lead Canadian researcher for the Canadian Space Agency's contribution to the Herschel Space Observatory, U of L scholar Dr. David Naylor (Physics and Astronomy) has played a key role in the development of the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE). SPIRE is one of three instruments on the Herschel spacecraft that is orbiting 1.5 million km from the earth. Functioning at a chilly -270C, SPIRE observes the universe at very long wavelengths, those well beyond the limit of human vision. Radiation emitted at these wavelengths is able to travel relatively unimpeded through even the densest regions of space, which allows astronomers to view back in time to the formation of the first galaxies. This technology is similar to, but far more sophisticated than, the full body scanners now being installed at airports.

Naylor's group designs and builds exquisitely sensitive systems to convert the energy in long wavelength photons into meaningful information on the composition and physical conditions of the astronomical objects under study.

As Naylor explains, "That's what physicists do – they think of the question and then build the equipment to answer that question."

Naylor is also a co-founder of the Institute for Space Imaging Science (ISIS) and director of its Space Astronomy Division. ISIS is a collaboration between the Universities of Athabasca, Calgary and Lethbridge. Scientists from the three institutions, and their research partners worldwide, share technology and other resources to tackle leading edge questions in space imaging.

Most recently, Naylor is collaborating with Dr. Jeff Dunn, a Canada Research Chair of radiology and biophysics in the U of C's Faculty of Medicine, to explore the utility of his detection system to the medical field, initially in cancer detection. In a recent paper, a team of Taiwanese scientists have shown that THz imaging is capable of detecting breast cancer without the lengthy time requirement for histological staining of samples and visual inspection by a technician.

Naylor quickly realized that even his run of the mill detectors are 100,000 times more sensitive, which means they have the potential to identify not only the cancerous cells, but also their boundaries, substantially faster. Dunn and Naylor are working to explore if this gain can be realized.

Some people question why anyone would study astronomy. Can research into the world around us help advance us as a species? Naylor emphatically says yes.

The universe is the astronomer's laboratory, and the instrumentation Naylor has developed to look outward may just provide us a better way to see in.

"One only has to look at the impact of the laser and MRI on society, whose roots lie in basic physics research, to answer the relevance question."

SPIRE takes detailed look at giant star

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:42:37 +0000

New images and data from an instrument attached to the groundbreaking Herschel Space Observatory, and co-designed by a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge team, are showing off even more detail about the origins of the universe including previously-undiscovered information about a giant star more than 5,000 light years away that could soon explode as a supernova.

Physics and Astronomy researcher Dr. David Naylor, Head of the Space Astronomy Division of the Institute for Space Imaging Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and his team of researchers lead Canada's contribution to the Herschel project on behalf of the Canadian Space Agency.

He co-designed an instrument that is called the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver ("SPIRE"), and is one of three devices attached to the Herschel telescope system.

"SPIRE detects radiation emitted at very long wavelengths, well beyond the limit of human eye. These wavelengths probe a different part of the universe, one that cannot be studied with optical techniques," Naylor said.
"This allows us to study two unique areas of astronomy: the very coldest parts of the universe where stars are born, and the very distant universe. Taken together this information provides a better picture of how stars and galaxies evolved over cosmic time."

The Herschel team recently turned the observatory's attention to a large star approximately 5,000 light years from earth called VY Canis Majoris, in the final stages of 'death' and got many surprising results,– the key one being an excess of water in the readings.

"VY Canis Majoris is about 2600 times as big as our sun and about 100,000 times as bright," Naylor said. "To put it in perspective if the earth were orbiting this star it would have already been consumed by the dying star, which is now larger than the orbit of Saturn. The giant star would vapourize all material in its path as it expanded, not just ices and oceans but rock itself."

While the Herschel images are spectacular and offer a complementary view to those provided by optical telescopes such as Hubble, Naylor said it is only through spectroscopy that one can identify the molecules present in these sources.

"With SPIRE we can look at the big picture, or the very tiny picture, and gain a whole new insight into how stars live and die. The reason the imagery is so clear is that the space observatory employs the largest mirror launched to date and that the observatory sits more than 1.5 million km from earth, far removed from the effects of the earth's atmosphere."

Building on the success of Herschel and with support from the CSA, Naylor is championing a Canadian role in the SPace Infrared telecope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA). SPICA a Japanese/European space agency mission is similar to Herschel but promises to be an astonishing factor of 100 times more sensitive! Worldwide, this project involves research teams in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, UK.

In Alberta, a recent and significant collaboration has been launched with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, where several researchers have formed the Institute for Space Imaging Science (ISIS) to work together on projects that take space research further than Herschel technology, whether on the ground or in the atmosphere.

The imaging power of the SPIRE instrument on Herschel spacecraft is a major leap forward in our ability to explore the Universe, says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Professor Russ Taylor, Director of ISIS. SPIRE is a prominent example of Albert leadership in the development of advanced technology for Space.

As well, Blue Sky Spectroscopy, a local high tech spin off company founded by Naylor in 2003, and now privately owned and operated, has been the data processing centre for the data from the SPIRE spectrometer.
Blue Sky has been key in processing data in the most accurate way possible to allow astronomers to make the best use of the SPIRE spectrograph. Seeing the first accurately calibrated spectra of astronomical targets has been the reward for many years of hard and diligent work. The Canadian Space Agency has committed to support this effort throughout the lifetime of the instrument.

U of L Physics and Astronomy Research Explores Deep Space

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:44:42 +0000

SPIRE Takes Detailed Look at Giant Star

He co-designed an instrument that is called the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver ("SPIRE"), and is one of three devices attached to the Herschel telescope system.

Herschel Space Observatory research to keep Naylor busy for years

trevor.kenney — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:56:42 +0000

When you talk to Dr. David Naylor (Institute for Space Imaging Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy), it is easy to get excited about his research, space exploration and the thought of imaging the unknown stars and galaxies that SPIRE, an instrumental concept he has been working on for 30 years will help to discover as it sits, 1.5 million km from Earth, bolted securely to the recently-launched Herschel Space Telescope.

The European Space Agency (ESA) Herschel mission, launched successfully from French Guiana on May 14, 2009 seeks to observe stars and galaxies at long-wavelengths (far-infrared).

Dr. David Naylor.

These wavelengths are able to penetrate interstellar dust, but are difficult to observe from Earth because the far infrared signals can't penetrate the Earth's atmosphere.

As the lead Canadian researcher for the Canadian Space Agency's contribution to the Herschel project – an international project involving eight nations -- Naylor has played a key role in the big science of space imagery by designing a device that has to function at a chilly -270C, collects infrared data from the far end of the light spectrum, and turns it into valuable information about the creation of stars and galaxies.
Naylor's instrument, called the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver ("SPIRE"), is one of three devices attached to the Herschel telescope system. SPIRE picks up heat signals that are not visible by optical telescopes, and will help to answer the age-old question astronomers have been asking for centuries: "What's out there?"

However, even with all his curiosity about what, in fact, might be 'out there,' it's hard to believe that Naylor can maintain that level of excitement for a project that that has faced financial and administrative hurdles, taken more than 15 years, many long days, about 100 students (in Lethbridge/Canada) and other researchers across the world to help develop.

And then there's the cost: approximately $100M to fit all that research into a box about as big as a toaster oven.

He's excited because it works. Finally.

"The mission control operators started the telescope up in stages," Naylor said. "Our instrument was the first brought on-line for performance verification. That means more than 250 tests to put it through its paces. And it is working flawlessly. The last time we had our hands on it was more than two years ago when SPIRE was sent from the UK for final testing and installation at ESA, so that was good news. To process the data to make it operate there are almost 2 billion lines of code involved, so to see a successful operation from this first test was a huge relief."

The next step, which also passed without a hitch, was to pop open the hatch -- officially called a 'cryocover', or the equivalent of a camera lens cap -- and reveal the giant 3.5m telescope mirror to the outer reaches of space.

But does Herschel do what it is supposed to do? The answer, of course, is yes – and much quicker and with more accuracy than any telescope launched to date. "Initial images reveal a level of detail never before seen from the ground or from space through the Hubble telescope, which sits only 400km from Earth," Naylor said.

"This isn't even the telescope operating at full capacity. These are initial 'test' images – like driving a racecar very slowly around the track… you know it works and is quite impressive, but wait until the driver opens the throttle!

"I am particularly proud of the first image that was released by the European Space Agency of a galaxy called the Whirlpool Galaxy. Prof. Christine Wilson, a research colleague from McMaster ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, is leading this study of nearby galaxies. Wilson is one of five scientists who have access to the guaranteed observing time awarded to Canada in recognition of its contributions to the mission, contributions that are led from the U of L."

On July 10, the European Space Agency released even more images which clearly show the additional clarity the Observatory brings to knowledge about galaxies and star formations (See the "First Light" images, at this website: http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=13&s=12367)

Also, gratifying -- and possibly a bit overwhelming -- are the unique research collaborations that Naylor sees happening in the future, as data from the Herschel mission starts to flow.

"Approximately one-third of the time available to researchers is guaranteed to those involved in key projects, and our time is included in that. We see the data here in Lethbridge before anyone else does," Naylor said.

"This means we will be in the best position to extract the most information from the astronomical data. Scientists will be seeking our help in analyzing their data and the U of L group will be an important Canadian and international resource."

With an estimated output of up to 7,000 hours per year of data, there should be enough information to keep researchers collaborating on current – and future -- projects busy for years.

To that end, Naylor is involved in several projects with physics and astronomy researchers across the country with diverse organizations such as the Canadian Space Agency, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies and a host of partner universities.

Worldwide, his research partners include Rutherford Appleton Labs in Oxford (UK) and other research institutions in Europe.

In Alberta, a recent and significant collaboration has been launched with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, where the U of L and the U of C have formed the Institute for Space Imaging Science (ISIS) to work together on projects that take space research further than Herschel technology, whether on the ground or in the atmosphere.

As well, Blue Sky Spectroscopy, a local high tech spin off company founded by Naylor in 2003, and now privately owned and operated, is rapidly developing a name for itself.

Its highly qualified staff, all with postgraduate degrees, specialize in custom hardware and software spectroscopic solutions. Customers include NASA, ESA, and CSA, and many leading research institutes such as Harvard, Berkeley, Chicago, Max Planck and Cardiff to name a few.

Moreover, Blue Sky is one of the three international Data Processing and Science Analysis Software centres for the SPIRE instrument. Data are downloaded daily from the spacecraft and stored on the Blue Sky's servers. While their research might be "blue sky," down to Earth the company has an active astronomy education and outreach program within the local community.

What's next?

According to Naylor, more research that refines his current SPIRE device to make it suitable for yet another space mission which is currently under review by the Japanese,European and Canadian Space Agencies.

"Because the SPIRE device is so versatile – and is now proven to work – we expect it will be in demand for future space astronomy missions such as SPICA – the SPace Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics."

Put on the coffee; it seems that more sleepless nights in the lab are on the horizon.

“First Light” Images from Herschel Space Observatory!

trevor.kenney — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:53:02 +0000

Dramatic Images of Galaxies more than 36 million Light Years From Earth

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge-designed technology helps clarify an old question: "What's out there?"

Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!

The European Space Agency released initial images from the Herschel Space Observatory on Friday, July 10, 2009, which capture dramatic and never-before-seen views of galaxies more than 36 million light years from earth.

Key to these clearer pictures of the stars and formations of galaxies is an instrument designed and tested by U of L researcher Dr. David Naylor (Institute for Space Imaging Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy) and a team of students, international colleagues and technicians.

Naylor's instrument, called the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver ("SPIRE"), is one of three devices attached to the Herschel telescope system.

SPIRE picks up heat signals that are not visible by optical telescopes, and will help to answer the age-old question astronomers have been asking for centuries: "What's out there?"

The European Space Agency (ESA) Herschel mission, launched successfully from French Guiana on May 14, 2009 seeks to answer that question by observing stars and galaxies at long-wavelengths (far-infrared).

These wavelengths are able to penetrate interstellar dust, but are difficult to observe from Earth because the far infrared signals can't penetrate the Earth's atmosphere.

As the lead Canadian researcher for the Canadian Space Agency's contribution to the Herschel project – an international project involving eight nations -- Naylor has played a key role in the big science of space imagery by designing a device that has to function at a chilly -270C.

SPIRE collects infrared data from the far end of the light spectrum, and turns it into valuable information about the creation of stars and galaxies – by remote control, and from more than 1.5 million km from earth.

"The mission control operators started the telescope up in stages," Naylor said. "Our instrument was the first brought on-line for performance verification. That means more than 250 tests to put it through its paces. And it is working flawlessly. The last time we had our hands on it was more than two years ago when SPIRE was sent from the UK for final testing and installation at ESA, so that was good news. To process the data to make it operate there are almost 2 billion lines of code involved, so to see a successful operation from this first test was a huge relief."

The next step, which also passed without a hitch, was to pop open the hatch -- officially called a 'cryocover', or the equivalent of a camera lens cap -- and reveal the giant 3.5m telescope mirror to the outer reaches of space.

But does Herschel do what it is supposed to do?

The answer, of course, is yes – and much quicker and with more accuracy than any telescope launched to date.

"Initial images reveal a level of detail never before seen from the ground or from space through the Hubble telescope, which sits only 400km from Earth," Naylor said.

"This isn't even the telescope operating at full capacity. These are initial 'test' images – like driving a racecar very slowly around the track… you know it works and is quite impressive, but wait until the driver opens the throttle!

Naylor sees many unique research collaborations happening in the future, as data from the Herschel mission starts to flow.

"Approximately one-third of the time available to researchers is guaranteed to those involved in key projects, and our time is included in that. We see the data here in Lethbridge before anyone else does," Naylor said.

"This means we will be in the best position to extract the most information from the astronomical data. Scientists will be seeking our help in analyzing their data and the U of L group will be an important Canadian and international resource."

With an estimated output of up to 7,000 hours per year of data, there should be enough information to keep researchers collaborating on current – and future -- projects busy for years.

IMAGES:

Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!

The image of a galaxy named M74, which was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780, has previously only been visible as a vague blob of particles and other materials. It is part of the constellation Pisces.

A galaxy named M66, also discovered in 1780 by Charles Messier, has never before been observed so clearly. It is part of the constellation Leo.

The attached images show the differences between previously-available images and the current images from the Herschel Space Observatory.

To view the complete set of images and other information from the European Space Agency, please visit these websites:

http://herschel.esac.esa.int/FirstLight.shtml

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8143447.stm

http://herschel.esac.esa.int/SneakPreview.shtml

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Getting Excited About Space Research: Meet Dr David Naylor

When you talk to Dr. David Naylor (Institute for Space Imaging Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy), it is easy to get excited about his research, space exploration and the thought of imaging the unknown stars and galaxies that SPIRE, an instrumental concept he has been working on for 30 years will help to discover as it sits, 1.5 million km from Earth, bolted securely to the recently-launched Herschel Space Telescope.

http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=300&s=12366

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Made-in-Alberta Technology Goes to Space, May 14

It's not every day that a device and technology created and tested by researchers at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge gets shot into space and travels more than 1.5 million kilometers from earth to view what might be the origins of star formations and galaxies.

http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=300&s=12172

Herschel launch a rousing success

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:51:36 +0000

The ISIS program is already reaping dividends for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. As a result, its students will prosper for years to come.

The first major project under the recently formed Institute for Space Imaging Science, a collaboration with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, went into space Thursday with the launch of the Herschel Space Observatory. But while ISIS may be relatively new, the technology behind the equipment launched with the Herschel has been in the works for more than a decade.

Included was the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE), a piece of equipment U of L physicist Dr. David Naylor has been developing, along with 100 or so of his students, over the past 15 years. He was the lone Canadian scientist in French Guiana Thursday to observe the launch of Herschel.

"After over a decade of working to get the spectrometer in space, our work begins as we use the device in earnest for the task it was designed to do," Naylor told the Lethbridge Herald following the successful launch.

Over 80 supporters crammed into Esquires Coffee Shop in downtown Lethbridge Thursday morning for the 7:12 a.m. launch. The fact the
U of L played such a significant role was not lost on Naylor as he commented about the possibilities now open to students for generations to come.

"Now our work truly starts - over the coming months and years my students (graduate and undergraduate) will use Herschel to explore the universe - they have an unparalleled opportunity, right here in southern Alberta," he told the Herald.

UNews - Institute for Space Imaging Science

Making the case for space exploration

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