Ariane 5 lifts off with Herschel and Planck on board. Image Credit: ESA

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched two telescopes, the Herschel and Planck, into orbit yesterday aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.  The Herschel Telescope, a powerful infrared telescope,will explore the development of stars and galaxies in addition to looking for the presence of water.  The Planck Telescope, designed to observe the microwave part of the spectrum, will explore radiation left behind by the origin of the universe.  It is hoped that Planck will also shed light on the nature of dark matter.  For more information on the launch, see here.