Infared astronomy from the UK infrared telescope

Infrared astronomy is a branch of science largely developed since the 1960s. This paper is a review of why astronomers wish to observe in the infrared and presents some of the difficulties which they face. Some of the physics of infrared detectors is described and examples are given of how the UK Infrared Telescope has studied objects ranging from tiny rocky bodies near the Earth to interacting galaxies whose energy output dwarfs that of our own Milky Way.