Written by: Gaurab KC - 25006, Grade XI
Posted on: 04 March, 2024
Introduction
Space, an ever so expanding abyss that is full yet so empty. In our galaxy, there are innumerable stars, each with their own planets and other bodies orbiting it. However, planets are not only limited to orbiting stars. There are many planets that do not have a star to orbit, and they are known as dwarf planets. These planets wander aimlessly in the darkness of space, which makes them difficult to detect. Planets are not the only heavenly bodies to wander in free space, it is speculated that there are countless nebulas, vast bodies of water, and groups of asteroids that exist in free space. These heavenly bodies are not easily detected. Even our most sensitive instruments have a hard time detecting these bodies. Therefore, we have adopted an important tool that allows us to detect these bodies, and it is known as infrared radiation.
What is Infrared Radiation?
Radiation is a form of energy that is invisible to the human eye. It is emitted by radioactive elements as well. We use radiation for a variety of reasons. They can be used to perform an x-ray scan, which allows them to detect injuries in the body. Other uses are creation of mutant DNA that can be used in the lab for the production of a crop that has a desired genetic trait. Needless to say, radiation has helped us overcome many challenges in the history of our species.
Infrared radiation is widely used in today's world. Some devices that use infrared radiation are TV remotes and mobile phones. Our lives are significantly more convenient without us realizing it, and this is all thanks to infrared radiation. The remote that we use to change the channels in our TV emits infrared radiation.
So, what emits infrared radiation? Well, many man-made things obviously do but emission of infrared rays are not limited to those things. Living beings also emit infrared rays. On a cold day, we snuggle up in our blankets. Initially we feel only slightly warm, but as time passes and as long as no air is coming from the outside, our body warms up in the blanket. This is due to the infrared radiation emitted by human beings. Thus, even biological beings can emit some infrared radiation.
Infrared Astronomy
We’ve discussed how many objects in space can go undetected. So, we need a way to detect these objects wandering about in the abyss. For this, we use the infrared radiation emitted by them to detect their presence. Therefore, the science behind detection of astronomical objects can be labeled as infrared astronomy.
When fire is burning, the infrared radiation emitted is so strong that the heat produced allows us to see. So in the context of astronomy, the more infrared radiation an object emits, the easier it is for us to detect its presence. We know that all objects emit infrared rays, which extend from the red end to the microwave range of the electromagnetic spectrum, and can be used by scientific instruments from far away to detect their presence. It makes it easier for us due to the fact that the wavelengths of infrared radiation is significantly greater than that of normal light. Thus, it allows for the infrared radiation to pass through dense clouds of glass or any other disturbing medium with less scattering.
Discoveries Made by Infrared Radiation
When the Hubble Space Telescope had begun taking pictures of far away galaxies and nebulas, it helped boost scientific innovation and brought about many new discoveries. But even such a powerful telescope couldn’t detect most of the heavenly bodies and stars hiding behind those dense nebulas. For example, when the Hubble Telescope took a picture of the Carina Nebula, the picture, while absolutely stunning, did not reveal the true amount of stars due to the dense dust and gases hiding the stellar masses. When the image was again processed with the help of infrared imaging, countless baby stars whose light got blocked were discovered. So, infrared radiation can be an essential tool in detection of astronomical bodies. This provides us with an excellent way to detect those lonely stars, planets and or other heavenly bodies that haven’t been seen by us yet.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have discovered that infrared radiation is emitted by both living or non-living beings. From animals and plants to rocks and our furniture. These emissions can then be detected by us to reveal their position and distance from us. Needless to say, science has proved it to be a useful tool in the detection of far away masses in the abyss of space. Hopefully this technology will continue to progress. Hopefully we can accurately detect these masses even among the densest clouds of gas or other scattering mediums some day in the future.
