Herschel Space Observatory scientists today met to discuss the progress of their mission, which was launched less than a year ago. AN’s deputy editor Emily Baldwin speaks to one of the Principal Investigators, Matt Griffin about what the mission has achieved so far.

Herschel is a 3.5 metre space telescope, and the first large-aperture mission to probe the Universe at far infrared and submillimetre wavelengths. The mission carries three primary science packages – SPIRE, PACS and HIFI – that between them allow astronomers to carry out extremely sensitive imaging and spectroscopy of a wide range of targets, from star formation in galaxies in both the local and far Universe, the evolution of dust in galaxies, to processes occurring in the interstellar medium and debris discs around nearby stars.

After several months of commissioning the instruments and performing key science observations, the major science projects are being implemented, and data will continue to flood in over the coming months and years.