Editing Infrared Space Observatory (section)

== Results ==

On average, ISO performed 45 observations in each 24-hour orbit.  Throughout its [[Service life|lifetime]] of over 900 orbits ISO performed more than 26,000 successful scientific observations. The huge amounts of scientific data generated by ISO was subject to extensive [[Archive|archiving]] activities up to 2006. The full data-set has been available to the scientific community since 1998 and many discoveries have been made, with probably many more still to come:
* ISO detected the presence of water vapour in [[Stellar evolution|starforming]] regions, in the vicinity of stars at the end of their lives, in sources very close to the [[Galactic Center|Galactic Centre]], in the atmospheres of [[planet]]s in the [[Solar System]] and in the [[Orion Nebula]].
* [[Nebular hypothesis|Planet formation]] was detected around old, dying stars. This discovery contradicted theories that planet formation was only possible around young stars.
* [[Hydrogen fluoride]] gas was for the first time detected in [[Interstellar medium|interstellar gas clouds]].
* The first detection of the earliest stages of stellar formation. The [[pre-stellar core]] L1689B was found and studied in great detail with ISO's LWS instrument.
* ISO discovered large amounts of cosmic dust in the previously thought empty space between [[Galaxy|galaxies]].
* Observations of the [[Luminosity|most-luminous]] object in the universe, [[Arp 220]], revealed that the source for its enormous emission of infrared radiation is an outburst of star formation.
* Observations with the LWS instrument confirmed the previous discovery by IRAS of large cloud-like structures of very cold [[hydrocarbon]]s radiating primarily in the infrared. These [[infrared cirrus]] clouds affect the [[First law of thermodynamics|energy balance]] of the entire universe, acting as a kind of [[Galaxy|galactic]] refrigerator.
* ISO searched for, and found several [[protoplanetary disk]]s: rings or disks of material around stars which are considered to be the first stage of [[Nebular hypothesis|planet formation]].
* ISO pointed its sensitive instruments on several of the planets in the Solar System to determine the chemical composition of their atmospheres.