Herschel telescope mirror

The mirror of the Herschel telescope, with its protective cover, ready to be lifted for installation on to the cryostat. This picture was taken on 16 April 2008.

This powerful telescope will allow scientists to look deep into space, at long infrared wavelengths. Herschel’s spectral coverage, which ranges from far-infrared to sub-millimetre wavelengths, will be made available for space-based observations for the first time.