The Infrared Astronomical Mission AKARI

TLDR

AKARI, Japan’s first infrared astronomy satellite, launched on 21 February 2006, began observations in May, and is expected to operate for about one and a half years on cryogen. The mission will release point‑source catalogues from its All‑Sky Survey to the astronomical community. AKARI carries a 68.5‑cm cooled telescope with two focal‑plane instruments that survey six mid‑to‑far‑infrared bands, provide imaging and spectroscopy from 2–180 µm in pointed mode, and conduct deep surveys and systematic observations of selected sky areas. Its All‑Sky Survey will cover over 90 % of the sky with higher spatial resolution and broader wavelength coverage than IRAS, creating a lasting legacy for future research.

Abstract

AKARI, the first Japanese satellite dedicated to infrared astronomy, was launched on 2006 February 21, and started observations in May of the same year. AKARI has a 68.5 cm cooled telescope, together with two focal-plane instruments, which survey the sky in six wavelength bands from the mid- to far-infrared. The instruments also have the capability for imaging and spectroscopy in the wavelength range 2 - 180 micron in the pointed observation mode, occasionally inserted into the continuous survey operation. The in-orbit cryogen lifetime is expected to be one and a half years. The All-Sky Survey will cover more than 90 percent of the whole sky with higher spatial resolution and wider wavelength coverage than that of the previous IRAS all-sky survey. Point source catalogues of the All-Sky Survey will be released to the astronomical community. The pointed observations will be used for deep surveys of selected sky areas and systematic observations of important astronomical targets. These will become an additional future heritage of this mission.