* Astronomy

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RE: Planck satellite

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Planck all-sky image depicts galactic mist over the cosmic background

An all-sky image from Planck's recently completed first survey highlights the two major emission sources in the microwave sky: the cosmic background and the Milky Way. The relic radiation coming from the very early Universe is, to a large extent, masked by intervening astronomical sources, in particular by our own Galaxy's diffuse emission. Thanks to Planck's nine frequency channels, and to sophisticated image analysis techniques, it is possible to separate these two contributions into distinct scientific products that are of immense value for cosmologists and astrophysicists, alike.
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Planck telescope reveals ancient cosmic light

The picture is the first full-sky image from Europe's Planck telescope which was sent into space last year to survey the "oldest light" in the cosmos.
It took the 600m-euro observatory just over six months to assemble the map.
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Happy first birthday Herschel and Planck

A year ago today, on 14 May 2009, the Herschel and Planck satellite pair lifted off on an Ariane 5 from Europes Spaceport in French Guiana. Now, both spacecraft are busy supplying data to waiting scientists on Earth.
The launch took place at 15:12 CEST. Shortly afterwards, both spacecraft separated according to plan: Herschel at 15:37:55 CEST followed by Planck at 15:40:25 CEST. The first signals from both were received by ESAs New Norcia and Perth stations in Australia at 15:49 CEST.
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New images published from Planck Space Observatory

Spectacular new images of the Orion Nebula, Milky Way and Seven Sisters star cluster have been published by the Planck Space Observatory.
The orbiting telescope, launched in 2009 by the European Space Agency, show the objects as they have never been seen before, revealing the gas and dust between the stars.
University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics is one of the teams to provide the equipment used to generate the images.
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Galactic, cartesian - with planets

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This map, (WMAP in galactic coordinates), shows the sky already observed by Planck from the start of the First Light survey (only one ring per day is shown). In red is highlighted todays ring.

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First images sent back by Planck space observatory
Planck will spend the next 15 months mapping the structure of radiation from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which is believed to be a leftover from the Big Bang.
The European satellite features cryogenic 'low noise amplifiers', built by engineers and technicians at the university's Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, which are used by its Low Frequency Instruments.

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The Planck space observatory, the European Space Agency's mission to study the early Universe, has successfully completed its initial test survey of the sky, it was announced today. The test confirms that Planck's sophisticated cooling system and scientific instruments, which Imperial College London physicists played a key role in developing, are working well.
Following the successful survey, Planck has now embarked on its 15 month mission to map the structure of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMB) - the relic radiation from the Big Bang.

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Planck first light yields promising results
Preliminary results from ESAs Planck mission to study the early Universe indicate that the data quality is excellent. This bodes well for the full sky survey that has just begun.
Planck started surveying the sky regularly from its vantage point at the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system, L2, on 13 August. The instruments were fine-tuned for optimum performance in the period preceding this date.
ESA's Planck microwave observatory is the first European mission designed to study the Cosmic Microwave Background - the relic radiation from the Big Bang.

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