NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured an image of an unusual comet that experiences frequent outbursts, which produce abrupt changes in brightness. Periodic comet Schwassmann-Wachmann I (P/SW-1) has a nearly circular orbit just outside that of Jupiter, with an orbital period of 14.9 years....
Andromeda Galaxy
The Dusty Arcs of the Andromeda Galaxy
This newly-processed image of the Andromeda galaxy uses data from NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope to reveal the complex patterns of dust found in our Milky Way galaxy’s nearest neighbor. It shows the glow of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons glowing at a wavelength of 8 microns.
Andromeda Galaxy Up Close
This close-up view of the center of the Andromeda galaxy, taken by NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope, is annotated with blue dotted lines to highlight the path of two dust streams flowing toward the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s center (indicated by a purple dot).
Andromeda Galaxy
The Infrared Face of the Andromeda Galaxy
This newly-processed infrared image of the Andromeda galaxy uses data from NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope to show off the disk of stars and clouds of dust that fill our Milky Way Galaxy’s largest neighbor. The image spans a wide swath of sky nearly 3.8 degrees across, which is close...
Eagle Nebula
Revisiting the Eagle Nebula
The Eagle Nebula (M16) is one of the best-known regions of star formation in our galaxy as it is host to the iconic “Pillars of Creation.” This infrared view of the region highlights the extensive fields of dust, gas, and stars that are hidden from view in visible light, and was rendered from...
M61
M61: A Starburst Spiral
Messier 61 (M61), pictured here in infrared light observed by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, is known to astronomers as a “starburst” galaxy due to its prodigious rate of forming new stars. Seen face-on, it provides an excellent view of the characteristic swirl of stars, gas, and dust that...
WR 124
WR 124: A Star Nearing Its End
Wolf Rayet stars are massive objects that are nearing the end of their lives, and are identified by the striking nebulas of dusty material that surround them. This infrared image of WR 124, compiled from archival data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, shows off the complex dusty patterns seen...
NGC 4565
A "Needle" Galaxy on Its Edge
Spiral galaxies are as varied as snowflakes, and almost as flat. This becomes clear when one observes a galaxy seen edge-on, as with NGC 4565, also known as the “Needle Galaxy.” This infrared image, made with archival data from the cryogenic phase of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, reveals the...
Phantom Galaxy
The Infrared Face of the Phantom Galaxy (M74)
Messier 74, also known as the Phantom Galaxy, is seen here in infrared light which showcases its sweeping spiral arms and star-forming regions. This image was created using archival data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, revealing dust clouds that, in visible light, appear dark.
Phantom Galaxy
Dusty, Forming Stars in the Phantom Galaxy (M74)
This infrared image of Messier 74, also known as the Phantom Galaxy and NGC 628, showcases its sweeping spiral arms and star-forming regions. The image was created using archival data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which can reveal dust clouds that are dark and hard to see in visible light...
Orion Nebula
Dusty Orion Nebula in Infrared
This infrared image of the Orion Nebula features plenty of dust but no stars. In these infrared wavelengths, it’s possible to see hot spots where new stars are forming, while unseen bright, massive stars have carved out caverns of empty space.
HD 166191
Planetesimal Collision Around Star HD 166191 (Illustration)
Spitzer Lightcurves Subset
These graphs show how the light from brown dwarfs are seen to vary over time. The infrared brightnesses were measured by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and demonstrate a wide range of variability in a large number of young brown dwarfs, indicative of their rotation and weather patterns. Blue...
W33
A ‘Monster’ Star-Forming Region
Do you see a monster in this picture? Do the bright spots near the top of the image look like the piercing eyes and elongated snout of Godzilla? In reality, this colorful image shows a nebula – a cloud of gas and dust in space – captured by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Over billions of years,...
WISEA J153429.75-104303.3
The Accident
Can you see the dark spot moving in the bottom left corner of the screen? It’s a brown dwarf nicknamed “The Accident,” which was discovered by citizen scientist Dan Caselden. It had slipped past typical searches because it doesn’t look like any other known brown dwarfs.
Milky Way
A Break in the Milky Way's Sagittarius Arm (diagram)
This diagram shows a contingent of young stars and star-forming gas clouds is sticking out of one of the Milky Way's spiral arms like a splinter protruding from a plank of wood. Stretching some 3,000 light-years, this is the first major structure identified with such a dramatically different...
Eagle Nebula
Four Famous Nebulae
These four nebulae (star-forming clouds of gas and dust) are known for their breathtaking beauty: the Eagle Nebula (which contains the Pillars of Creation), the Omega Nebula, the Trifid Nebula, and the Lagoon Nebula. In the 1950s, a team of astronomers made rough distance measurements to some of...
Milky Way
A Break in the Milky Way's Sagittarius Arm
A contingent of young stars and star-forming gas clouds is sticking out of one of the Milky Way's spiral arms like a splinter protruding from a plank of wood. Stretching some 3,000 light-years, this is the first major structure identified with such a dramatically different orientation relative to...
Arp 148
Arp 148 (Visible & Infrared)
This image shows galaxy Arp 148, captured by NASA's Spitzer and Hubble telescopes.
Arp 148
Revealing the Supernova in Arp 148
This image shows galaxy Arp 148, captured by NASA's Spitzer and Hubble telescopes. Inside the white circle is specially-processed Spitzer data, which reveals infrared light from a supernova that is hidden by dust. Supernovae are massive stars that have exploded after running out of fuel. They...
Artist's rendering of a "hot Jupiter"
Artist's rendering of a "hot Jupiter," with samples of "light curve" data from hot Jupiters obtained by the Spitzer Space Telescope. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech HIP 67522 b was identified as a planet candidate by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satllite (TESS), which detects planets via...
Spitzer Space Telescope
Spitzer Space Telescope Poster
This poster depicts the TRAPPIST-1 planets, some of which were discovered by Spitzer.
2MASS J0348-6022
A Swiftly Rotating Brown Dwarf (Illustration)
This illustration depicts the fastest spinning brown dwarf found to date. Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found 2MASS J0348-6022 rotates on its axis every 1.08 hours, about ten times faster than Jupiter and Saturn.
TRAPPIST-1
Measuring the Masses and Diameters of the TRAPPIST-1 Planets
Measuring the mass and diameter of a planet reveals its density, which can give scientists clues about its composition. Scientists now know the density of the seven TRAPPIST-1 planets with a higher precision than any other planets in the universe, other than those in our own solar system
TRAPPIST-1
Possible Interiors of the TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanets
Three possible interiors of the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets. The more precisely scientists know the density of a planet, the more they can narrow down the range of possible interiors for that planet. All seven planets have very similar densities, so they likely have a similar compositions.
TRAPPIST-1
TRAPPIST-1 and Solar System Planet Stats
Detailed measurements of the physical properties of the seven rocky TRAPPIST-1 planets and the four terrestrial planets in our solar system help scientists find similarities and differences between the two planet families.
TRAPPIST-1
Comparison of TRAPPIST-1 to the Solar System
A planets density is determined by its composition as well as its size: Gravity compresses the material a planet is made of, increasing the planets density. Uncompressed density adjusts for the effect of gravity and can reveal how the composition of various planets compare.
MWP1G043734+001170
Something Out There Is Watching You
Do you ever look up at the night sky and feel like someone, or something, may be looking back at you? This Halloween image from NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope may convince you that you are right. Dont expect to see these cosmic eyes without a face if you search the night sky with your own...
W51
W51
The star-forming nebula W51 is one of the largest "star factories" in the Milky Way galaxy. Interstellar dust blocks the visible light emitted by the region, but it is revealed by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which captures infrared light that can penetrate dust clouds.
HIP 67522 b
HIP 67522 b: The Youngest Known Hot Jupiter
This artwork illustrates the newly-discovered the exoplanet HIP 67522 b, which appears to be the youngest hot Jupiter ever found. It orbits a well-studied star that is about 17 million years old, meaning the hot Jupiter is likely only a few million years younger, whereas most known hot Jupiters...
OJ 287
Sizes of Black Holes in Galaxy OJ 287 Relative to the Solar System
Two supermassive black holes are locked in an orbital dance at the core of the distant galaxy OJ 287. This diagram shows their sizes relative to the solar system.
OJ 287
Black Hole Disk Flare in Galaxy OJ 287
This image shows two massive black holes in the OJ 287 galaxy. The smaller black hole orbits the larger one, which is also surrounded by a disk of gas. When the smaller black hole crashes through the disk, it produces a flare brighter than 1 trillion stars.
California Nebula
Spitzer California Nebula Mosaic
This series of image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope on Jan. 25, 2020, shows part of the California Nebula, which is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth. This is the final mosaic taken by the mission before it was decommissioned on Jan. 30, 2020.
California Nebula
Spitzer California Nebula Mosaic Callout
This image shows the section of the nebula captured by Spitzer in the context of a larger, visible-light image of the nebula.
2MASS J10475385+2124234
Windy Brown Dwarf
For the first time, scientists have directly measured wind speed on a brown dwarf, pictured here in an illustration. Brown dwarfs are objects larger than Jupiter (the largest planet in our solar system) but not quite massive enough to become stars. To achieve the finding, they used a new method...
Brown Dwarf Comparison
Brown dwarfs are more massive than planets but not quite as massive as stars. Generally speaking, they have between 13 and 80 times the mass of Jupiter. A brown dwarf becomes a star if its core pressure gets high enough to start nuclear fusion.
Kelt-9b
Kelt-9b: The Hottest Hot Jupiter (Tall)
This artist's concept shows planet KELT-9b orbiting its host star, KELT-9. It is the hottest gas giant planet discovered so far.
Kelt-9b
Kelt-9b: The Hottest Hot Jupiter (Wide)
This artist's concept shows planet KELT-9b orbiting its host star, KELT-9. It is the hottest gas giant planet discovered so far.
Tarantula Nebula
Tarantula Nebula Spitzer 2-Color Image
This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Tarantula Nebula in two wavelengths of infrared light, each represented by a different color.
Tarantula Nebula
Tarantula Nebula Spitzer 3-Color Image (Annotated)
This image shows the location of Supernova 1987A and the starburst region R136 where massive stars form at a significantly higher rate than anywhere else in the galaxy.
Tarantula Nebula
Tarantula Nebula Spitzer 3-Color Image
This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Tarantula Nebula in three wavelengths of infrared light, each represented by a different color.
Spitzer Space Telescope
Spitzer in Space: Infrared Final Voyage
This artist's concept depicts NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in space much as it would appear at the end of its mission on January 30, 2020. The backdrop depicts the sky in infrared light much as Spitzer would have seen it early in its mission.
Spitzer Space Telescope
Spitzer in Space: Final Voyage (Portrait)
This artist's concept depicts NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in space much as it would appear to an observer at the end of its mission on January 30, 2020.
Spitzer Space Telescope
Spitzer in Space: Infrared Final Voyage (Portrait)
This artist's concept depicts NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in space much as it would appear at the end of its mission on January 30, 2020. The backdrop depicts the sky in infrared light much as Spitzer would have seen it early in its mission.
Spitzer Space Telescope
Spitzer in Space: Final Voyage
This artist's concept depicts NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in space much as it would appear to an observer at the end of its mission on January 30, 2020.
Perseus Cloud
Perseus Molecular Cloud
A collection of gas and dust over 500 light-years across, the Perseus Molecular Cloud hosts an abundance of young stars. Located on the edge of the Perseus Constellation, it was imaged by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Jack-o'-lantern Nebula
The Jack-o-Lantern Nebula
This carved-out cloud of gas and dust has been nicknamed the "Jack-o'-lantern Nebula" because it looks like a cosmic hollowed-out pumpkin. Powerful outflows of radiation and particles from a massive star known as an O-type star and about 15 to 20 times heavier than the Sun has likely swept the...
Jack-o'-lantern Nebula
The Jack-o-Lantern Nebula
This carved-out cloud of gas and dust has been nicknamed the "Jack-o'-lantern Nebula" because it looks like a cosmic hollowed-out pumpkin. Powerful outflows of radiation and particles from a massive star known as an O-type star and about 15 to 20 times heavier than the Sun has likely swept the...
Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere!
This cloud of gas and dust in space is full of bubbles inflated by wind and radiation from massive young stars. Each bubble is about 10 to 30 light-years across and filled with hundreds to thousands of stars. The region lies in the Milky Way galaxy, in the constellation Aquila (aka the Eagle).
Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere! (Annotated)
This cloud of gas and dust is full of bubbles, which are inflated by wind and radiation from massive young stars. Yellow circles and ovals show the locations of more than 30 bubbles. Squares indicate bow shocks, red arcs of warm dust formed as winds from fast-moving stars push aside dust grains.
Bow Shocks Between the Bubbles
These four images show bow shocks, or arcs of warm dust formed as winds from fast-moving stars push aside dust grains scattered sparsely through most of the nebula.
M81
The Dust of Galaxy M81
Wispy patterns of dust trace the spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The infrared view of M81 at a wavelength of 8 microns (red) has been specially processed in this image to remove most of the glow of starlight to isolate the glow of dust.
M81
Full Infrared View of the M81 Galaxy
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. This Spitzer infrared image is a composite mosaic combining data from the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) at wavelengths of 3.6/4.5 microns (blue/cyan) and 8 microns (green)...
M81
Galaxy M81 in Infrared, Revisited
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this NASA Spitzer Space Telescope image. M81 was one of the first publicly-released datasets soon after Spitzers launch in August of 2003. On the occasion of Spitzers 16th anniversary this new image revisits this...
M81
M81 Galaxy by Starlight
The nearby spiral galaxy, Messier 81 (M81) is shown in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. This image shows us M81 at infrared wavelengths of light at 3.6 & 4.5 microns (blue & green). At these shorter wavelengths of infrared light we are seeing the light from the stars in this...
Dark World
This artist's illustration depicts the exoplanet LHS 3844b, which is 1.3 times the mass of Earth and orbits an M dwarf star. The planet's surface may be covered mostly in dark lava rock, with no apparent atmosphere, according to observations by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
LHS 3844b
Detecting the Infrared Glow of a Dark World
This infographic illustrates how astronomers using NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the LHS 3844b system could deduce how much of the combined infrared light came from the Earth-sized exoplanet.
LHS 3844b
Dark World (Full)
This artist's illustration depicts the exoplanet LHS 3844b, which is 1.3 times the mass of Earth and orbits an M dwarf star. The planet's surface may be covered mostly in dark lava rock, with no apparent atmosphere, according to observations by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Perfectly Sideways Galaxy
Galaxy NGC 5866 lies 44 million light-years from Earth and has a diameter of roughly 60,000 light-years a little more than half the diameter of our own Milky Way galaxy. From our viewpoint, NGC 5866 is oriented almost exactly edge-on, yielding most of its structural features invisible.
GJ 3470 b
NASA's Great Observatories Probe New Class of Exoplanet
This artist's illustration shows the theoretical internal structure of the exoplanet GJ 3470 b. It is unlike any planet found in the Solar System.
Whirlpool Galaxy
The Infrared Whirlpool Galaxy
This image shows the Whirlpool galaxy, also known as Messier 51 and NGC 5194/5195, which is actually a pair of galaxies. Located approximately 23 million light-years away, it resides in the constellation Canes Venatici. Here we see four wavelengths of infrared light: 3.6 microns (shown in blue),...
