Multiwavelength observations of interstellar dust

Abstract

Interstellar dust is important in virtually every aspect of Galactic and extragalactic astronomy - whether one simply wants to correct for its effects or to study galactic dynamics and processes. Interstellar dust is found in every line of sight and is responsible for much of the radiation emitted by a galaxy. Multiwavelength studies of interstellar dust are critical to an understanding of the nature and evolution of interstellar dust. The dust absorbs strongly in the near and far ultraviolet where the stellar radiation field is most energetic and re-emits in the infrared. I will describe observations of interstellar dust ranging from the limited data sets in the UV and visible, where dust scattering and extinction are observed, to the all-sky survey data of IRAS and COBE. I will conclude with the importance of ASTROSAT to studies of interstellar dust.