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The science team of the Submillimetron Project, a telescope designed to probe the far reaches of the Universe, suggest it could also play a part in detecting comets far from the Sun reports Space.com. The telescope is designed to observe light in submillimetre wavelengths between the infrared and microwave and its primary aim is to conduct a full sky survey. Very cold objects, such as matter leftover from the Big Bang, lose heat as radiation in this wavelength and thus can be studied with the Submillimetron telescope. Scientists developing the telescope, from Sweden, Finland and Russia, including the Astro Space Center in Moscow, suggest that cold icy comet nuclei and Kuiper Belt Objects will be detected in the sky surveys conducted by the Submillimetron. These objects are difficult to detect due to their great distance and yet some, the Long Period comets, pose a direct hazard to the Earth. The Submillimetron's observations, although not sufficient to accurately determine the orbits of objects would be useful in identifying their size and albedo. The Submillimetron telescope is designed to be free-flying in Earth orbit on a modified Russian cargo spacecraft and will dock with the International Space Station for servicing. The project has been approved by the Russian Space Agency for flight after 2005.
More info: The Submillimetron Project
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