| EM REGION | RELATIVE WAVELENGTH |
NEW PHENOMENA | KEY DIAGNOSTIC FOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| RADIO | 106 |
AGN, jets, CMB, Pulsars |
Protoplanetary Disks, Neutral ISM, Molecular ISM |
| IR | 100 | Protostars |
Dust, Cold ISM, Shrouded Starbursts, z > 3 Galaxies |
| OPTICAL | 1.0 |
Planets, Stars, Galaxies, The Universe |
Almost all |
| UV | 0.1 | Intergalactic Medium |
Massive Stars, Hot & Cold ISM, AGN |
X-RAY | 10-4 |
XR Binaries, Hot ICM |
Hot ISM, AGN |
| GAMMA RAY | 10-6 | GR Bursters |
| Perspective question:
What would we know about the universe today if Earth had an atmosphere that was optically thick in the UVOIR? Would sciences other than astronomy be as well developed as they are now? |