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Britannica Hong Kong > Encyclopedia Categories > Astronomy > Infrared Space Observatory (ISO)

Infrared Space Observatory (ISO)

European Space Agency satellite that from 1995 to 1998 observed astronomical sources of infrared radiation. The satellite, which carried a 60-cm (24-in.) telescope, made significant observations of protoplanetary disks of dust and gas around young stars, with results suggesting that individual planets can form over periods as brief as 20 million years, and discovered that these disks are rich in silicates, the minerals that form the basis of many common types of rock. It also discovered a large number of brown dwarfs.

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