Planck Status: Routine Operations (Second All-Sky Survey)
Location: in orbit around L2

Planck unveils the Universe - old and young

Planck has delivered its first image of the entire sky. By looking at microwave radiation, it not only provides new insight into the way stars and galaxies form, but also tells us how the Universe itself came to life after the Big Bang.

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The Planck satellite was launched on 14th May 2009, beginning its mission to measure the Cosmic Microwave Background in finer detail and to a greater accuracy than has been possible before. This will allow us to measure the composition and evolution of the Universe better than ever before. The satellite comprises three main sections: the telescope, the scientific instruments, and the service module, which controls where the satellite points and communicates with scientists back on Earth. Planck is named after the German physicist Max Planck.

Planck is currently orbiting the L2 point in space, and has reached its target temperature of 0.1K, making it the coldest place in space! Keep track of the mission progress using the Mission Updates, also available with an RSS feed.