The AKARI catalogues cover the wavelengths 9, 18, 65, 90, 140 and 160 micrometres. These different wavelengths can be used to separate the various generic classes of objects, such as stars (blue) and galaxies (red), in what is called colour-colour space. This allows astronomers to select samples of the various classes of objects that they wish to study.
Source: http://sci.esa.int/collaborative-missions/46771-separating-stars-from-galaxies-with-akari-data/
Description Akari, also known by its pre-launch name Astro-F, is a Japanese (JAXA/ISAS) astrophysics mission that was launched by an M-5 rocket from Uchinoura Space Center (at the southern tip of Kyushu Island) at 21:28 UT on 21 February 2006. (The rocket also released a 3.6 kg picosatellite, named Cute 1.7 to train students at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.) The 955 kg satellite carries a Ritchey-Chretien, F/6.1 infrared telescope with aperture 67 cm and focal length 420 cm. The primary mirror is a gold-coated silicon carbide. It carries two focal plane instruments kept at a temperature of 6 K (-450 degrees F) by 170 liter of liquid helium. The helium supply was expected to last for 550 days of observations. Akari is expected to provide a significant advance over the results from the earlier NASA/ESA mission, IRAS (1983-004A).
(NASA - National Space Science Data Center)
Facts Spectrum Studied: Infrared Launch Date: 2006-02-21 Termination Date: 2011-11-24 Orbital Location: Earth Orbit (586 to 610 km) Launch Vehicle: M-5 Launch Site: Uchinoura Space Center, Japan Mass: 955 kg
Funding Agency Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Japan)