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E. L. Wright (UCLA), P. R. M. Eisenhardt (JPL), WISE Science Team 2
The Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE, formerly NGSS) is a MIDEX currently under study which will survey the entire sky in 4 mid-infrared bands at 3.5, 4.7, 12 and 23 microns with vastly greater sensitivity than previous all-sky surveys at these wavelengths.
The WISE long wavelength channels will be very powerful for detecting Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies, and WISE should detect the most luminous galaxies in the Universe. The WISE short wavelength channels will be very powerful for detecting old cold brown dwarfs, and WISE should detect the nearest brown dwarfs to the Sun.
WISE will have a 40 cm cryogenic telescope, 10242 arrays, a scan mirror to freeze images on the arrays while the spacecraft scans continuously, and will take 46'x46' images every 11 seconds in all four bands from an IRAS/COBE style Sun-synchronous nearly polar low Earth orbit. WISE is currently in an extended phase A study with an Initial Confirmation Review scheduled for late summer, 2004. WISE is expected to launch in summer 2008.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #2
© YEAR. The American Astronomical Soceity.