AKARI

ASTRO-F, IRIS

Mission Profile

AKARI (ASTRO-F, IRIS) is a JAXA infrared astronomy satellite launched on 21 February 2006 aboard an M-V rocket to a sun-synchronous polar orbit, designed to conduct an all-sky survey in six infrared bands between 9 and 180 micrometers and follow-up pointed observations of individual sources. AKARI surveyed 94% of the sky with sensitivity and resolution far exceeding IRAS (1983), detecting over 1.3 million infrared sources and providing a comprehensive new census of dust-enshrouded star-forming regions, evolved stars with dusty envelopes, and infrared-luminous galaxies. Its deep pointed observations characterized the spectral energy distributions of thousands of galaxies, planetary nebulae, and the diffuse interstellar medium. AKARI operated until 2011 when its liquid helium coolant was exhausted, though warm observations continued at shorter wavelengths through 2011.