Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:48, 8 August 2019

Revision as of 23:11, 25 December 2019

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==Scientific results==

NICMOS was noted for its performance in Near-infrared space astronomy, in particular its ability to see objects through dust.<ref name="spaceflightnow.com"/> It was used for about 23 months after it was installed, its life limited by set amount of cryo-coolant, and then later it was used for several years when a new cyrocryo-cooler was installed in 2002.<ref name="spaceflightnow.com"/> NICMOS combined near infrared performance with a large mirror.<ref name="spaceflightnow.com"/>

NICMOS allowed investigation of high [[redshift]] galaxies and QSO with high spatial resolution, which was especially useful when analyzed in conjunction with other instruments such as the STIS, and it also allowed deeper investigation of stellar populations.<ref>[http://cds.cern.ch/record/439513/files/0005495.pdf]</ref> In planetary science, NICMOS was used to discover an impact basin on the bottom asteroid [[4 Vesta]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Edward C. Blair|title=Asteroids: Overview, Abstracts, and Bibliography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oa289IxCvAAC&pg=PA115|year=2002|publisher=Nova Publishers|isbn=978-1-59033-482-9|page=115}}</ref> (4 Vesta was later visited by [[Dawn (spacecraft)]] in the 2010s which investigated it more closely by orbiting it)