|
|
|
|
|
Links: Polyphonic Ringtones |
Except for the very lightest elements (primarily hydrogen and helium), which resulted from the Big Bang, most of the atoms and molecules in the Universe have their origins in the stars. As stars burn and eventually die out, they produce heavier elements which are then ejected into interstellar space as a star blows off its outer layers during its final phases. Some of these elements will then combine to form molecules. Atoms and molecules are the basic building blocks of all matter. Determining which atoms and molecules are present in space, what their distribution and abundance is, and in what environments they exist is critical to our understanding of the Universe, the formation of stars, planets and galaxies, and the possibility of life beyond the Earth. The infrared part of the spectrum is where the emission and absorption lines of virtually all molecules as well as numerous atoms and ions (electrically charged atoms) lie. Infrared spectroscopy is the primary way to detect these elements in space. Spectrometers onboard infrared missions like the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO), and the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), as well as near-infrared spectra from ground based observatories, have led to the discovery of hundreds of atoms and molecules in many different regions of space. For example, click here to see a chart of interstellar molecules and atoms detected by the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. 
|