Ultraviolet Astronomy

Ultraviolet astronomy is the study of astronomical objects in the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because Earth's atmosphere prevents ultraviolet radiation from reaching its surface, ground-based observatories cannot observe in the ultraviolet. Only with the advent of space-based telescopes has this area of astronomy become available for research. Ultraviolet radiation has a shorter wavelength and more energy than visual radiation, and much of ultraviolet astronomy therefore centers on energetic processes in stars and galaxies. Hot regions of stellar atmospheres, for example, invisible to optical telescopes, reveal a wealth of information to the ultraviolet telescope. The crowded, violent regions at the centers of some galaxies are also prime targets for ultraviolet telescopes.