Compared to most wavelengths, astronomy has a blind spot on the far-infrared part of the spectrum. A far-infrared space telescope experiences noise from its own mirror unless it is cooled to a few degrees above absolute zero. In the absence of sensitive detectors, such an expensive observatory has not yet been built, which in turn has slowed down the development of detectors. In 2004, SRON decided to break this vicious circle and invest in the development of Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs). These KIDs now achieve a sensitivity that allows them to detect even the background radiation of the Universe.
Month: August 2022
Methane satellites find landfills with the same climate impact as several hundred thousand cars
Methane is almost thirty times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than CO2. SRON researchers therefore scan the entire globe for large methane leaks. A landfill in Buenos Aires turns out to emit tens of tons of methane per hour, comparable to the climate impact of one and a half million cars. They also detect large emissions from landfills in India and Pakistan, identifying new low-hanging fruit in the battle against climate change. Publication on August 10th in Science Advances.
