ISOCAM: Main results Original Research Article

ISOCAM, the camera on-board ISO, takes images of the sky in the wavelength range 2.5 to 18 μm. Its capabilities and performances match the expectations. Compared to IRAS, the space resolution is improved by a factor ∼ 50, while gains in sensitivity of a factor >1000 are possible. These new capabilities have led to many breakthroughs in galactic and extragalactic astrophysics ; in particular, ISOCAM has revealed the prevalence of hidden star formation in nearby and, even more, in distant regions of the universe.