TIME's video: 10 TYPES OF SPACE TELESCOPES YOU DONT KNOW

10 types of space telescopes you don't know 1.Gamma ray Gamma ray astronomy 2.X-ray X-ray telescopes measure high-energy photons called X-rays. These can not travel a long distance through the atmosphere, meaning that they can only be observed high in the atmosphere or in space. 3.Ultraviolet Ultraviolet telescopes make observations at ultraviolet wavelengths, i.e. between approximately 10 and 320 nm. Light at these wavelengths is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so observations at these wavelengths must be performed from the upper atmosphere or from space. 4.Visible The oldest form of astronomy, optical or visible-light astronomy extends from approximately 400 to 700 nm.[116] Positioning an optical telescope in space means that the telescope does not see any atmospheric effects (see astronomical seeing), providing higher resolution images. 5.Infrared Infrared light is of lower energy than visible light, hence is emitted by cooler objects. 6. Submillimiter Space-based observations at the submillimetre wavelengths remove the ground-based limitations of atmospheric absorption. The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) was launched into low Earth orbit on December 5, 1998 as one of NASA's Small Explorer Program (SMEX) missions. 7.Radio As the atmosphere is transparent for radio waves, radio telescopes in space are of most use for Very Long Baseline Interferometry; doing simultaneous observations of a source with both a satellite and a ground-based telescope and by correlating their signals to simulate a radio telescope the size of the separation between the two telescopes. 8.Particle detection Spacecraft and space-based modules that do particle detection, looking for cosmic rays and electrons. These can be emitted by the sun (Solar Energetic Particles), our galaxy (Galactic cosmic rays) and extragalactic sources (Extragalactic cosmic rays). 9.Gravitational waves A proposed new type of telescope is one that detects gravitational waves; ripples in space-time generated by colliding neutron stars and black holes. 10.Microwave Microwave space telescopes have primarily been used to measure cosmological parameters from the Cosmic Microwave Background. They also measure synchrotron radiation, free-free emission and spinning dust from our Galaxy, as well as extragalactic compact sources and galaxy clusters through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect.