1. Artist’s rendition of GALEX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
Mission Overview
Timeline
Scientific Objectives
Links
Image from NASA
Header:
Image:
Artist’s rendition of GALEX

2. GALEX image of the Southern
MISSION OVERVIEW
The Galaxy Evolution Explorer is an orbiting space telescope that makes observations at ultraviolet wavelengths to measure the history of star formation in the universe 80 percent of the way back to the Big Bang. Since scientists believe the universe is about 13 billion years old, the mission will study galaxies and stars across about 10 billion years of cosmic history.
Image from NASA
GALEX image of the Southern
Pinwheel glaxy.
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3. A cartwheel galaxy imaged by GALEX.
TIMELINE
GALEX launched April 28th, 2003 aboard a Pegasus rocket.
Although originally planned as a 29-month mission, the NASA Senior Review Panel in 2006 recommended that the mission lifetime be extended.
Image from NASA
A cartwheel galaxy imaged by GALEX.
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4. SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES
The spacecraft's mission is to observe hundreds of thousands of galaxies, with the goal of determining how far away each galaxy is from Earth and how fast stars are forming in each galaxy. A galaxy’s ultraviolet brightness tells us how fast its stars are forming.
Andromeda, the Galaxy Next Door

5. SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES
Mission scientists will be trying to find stars that have recently formed, so they will be looking for stars whose appearance reveals them to be young. These are the most massive stars, which are so hot they shine in ultraviolet wavelengths.
Gravitational Dance: NGC 1512 and NGC 1510
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6. Artist’s rendition of GALEX
LINKS
Image from NASA
Artist’s rendition of GALEX
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