The largest infrared telescope ever sent into space, the Herschel Space Observatory, has finished its nearly four-year journey after reaching the end of its life span, according to the European Space Agency.
The announcement from the European Space Agency came on Monday, April 29 and indicated that Herschel had used up its supply of liquid helium coolant. The dying out of the telescope was recorded by a ground station in Australia.
"Herschel has offered us a new view of the hitherto hidden universe, pointing us to a previously unseen process of star birth and galaxy formation, and allowing us to trace water through the universe from molecular clouds to newborn stars and their planet-forming discs and belts of comets," European Space Agency Herschel project scientist Gӧran Pilbratt said in a statement.
In honor of the telescope's legacy, here are 10 amazing pictures from Herschel captured during its prolific lifetime.
