infrared astronomy

noun

1. the study of infrared radiation emitted by celestial objects.

infrared astronomy

noun

1. the study of radiations from space in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum

infrared astronomy

1. The study of celestial objects by means of the analysis of the infrared radiation they emit. Because infrared radiation can pass through clouds of interstellar dust or gas that absorb visible light, infrared astronomy enables the study of celestial objects or features that are undetectable by optical telescopes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of infrared astronomy¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

At a meeting last week organized by NOIRLab, the U.S. national center for optical and infrared astronomy, researchers discussed a possible answer: not one big telescope, but many, their light combined by quantum technologies.

From Science Magazine

The James Webb Space Telescope relies on infrared astronomy to interrogate points of light.

From Salon

I was doing my graduate work in infrared astronomy at Imperial College in the 1970s, and one of the professors had been doing spectroscopic studies of zodiacal dust.

From National Geographic

When he adds Wexford-Smythe University, we get pictures of a tree-lined campus and the course syllabus for their infrared astronomy program.

From Literature

Indeed, from Earth's surface, infrared astronomy is virtually impossible because of all the infrared light generated on Earth from heat, and which is scattered in the atmosphere.

From Salon