Media representatives are cordially invited to celebrate the release of the first results from ESA’s Herschel infrared space telescope. The theme of the media day is: Revealing the Hidden Side of Star Formation.

The event will take place at Space Expo, at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Noordwijk, The Netherlands on 6 May. Doors open at 11:30 am. The media day is organised in connection with the Herschel First Results Symposium at ESTEC.

The media day will concentrate on the unprecedented study of star formation that Herschel is making in our Galaxy and across the Universe. Until now, the initial stages of star birth have largely been shrouded in darkness, obscured by the thick clouds of dust and gas that incubate the youngest stars. Herschel sees through these clouds, revealing the dark side of star formation in unique detail. To highlight these results, new images from across the Universe will be released on the day.

By revealing these formation events, Herschel is showing us what might have happened in our own part of space almost 5 billion years ago, when the Sun, Earth and the other planets of our Solar System began to form.

Herschel – carrying the space instrument HIFI, built and developed under supervision byof SRON – was launched on 14 May 2009 and began viewing the sky a month later. Initial observations from the demonstration phase were presented at a workshop on 17-18 December 2009. Then the main scientific observations began.

Also known as ESLAB 2010, The Herschel First Results Symposium is the first major scientific meeting to present Herschel’s results. It will run 4-7 May in the ESTEC Conference Centre. More details of the ESLAB Symposium can be found at congrex.

Media representatives wishing to attend the event are requested to contact the ESTEC Communication Office by 3 May.