Herschel Space Observatory

The latest data delivered back to Earth by the Herschel Space Observatory (HSO)-launched in May by the European Space Agency-has opened a new window on galaxies for researchers at McMaster University. Herschel, the largest infrared telescope ever launched. Are we really entering a golden age for astronomers because, for the first time, we can analyze precise data-that we cannot gather on the ground-from nearby galaxies, which will help interpret observations of more distant galaxies where we can't see such fine spatial detail.