Wyoming Infrared Observatory Receives NASA Grant

The University of Wyoming has received a grant from NASA that will be used on upgrades for the Wyoming Infrared Observatory. The $750,000 grant will give UW researchers new capabilities to conduct new and exciting science research.

The Wyoming Infrared Observatory (WIRO) sits atop Jelm Mountain at an elevation of 9,657ft. It is home to Wyoming’s largest telescope and is one of the premiere infrared observatories in the world! Research conducted at WIRO has also lead to millions of dollars in funding to the university.

The telescope currently uses a 4 megapixel camera that is capable of taking pictures 60% the size of the moon. Replacing the 4 megapixel camera will be a 16 megapixel camera. It will have the capability of taking pictures 30% larger than the full moon. Larger pictures will allow UW scientists and researchers to complete sky surveys 4 times faster than before. The WIRO upgrades will also improve research on quasars. Quasars are vital to the understanding of cosmology and galaxy evolution. While the nature of these objects was controversial until as recently as the early 1980s, there is now a scientific consensus that a quasar is a compact region in the center of a massive galaxy surrounding its central super massive black hole.

Our universe is absolutely amazing. With the new upgrades The University of Wyoming will be able to provide some of the best space research capabilities.

Information courtesy of The Laramie Boomerang and The University of Wyoming.