The new record-holder for dimmest known star-like object in the universe goes to twin brown dwarfs, each of which shines feebly with only one millionth the light of our sun.

Robert Hurt interviews Dr. Henrik Spoon about a first in extragalactic astronomy: the detection of delicate crystals on dust grains in the violent centers of colliding galaxies.

Can planet-forming disks put the brakes on spinning stars? Dr. Luisa Rebull discusses Spitzer results that may solve this astronomical mystery.

Astronomers unexpectedly discover that some very massive mature galaxies were already in place only one billion years after the Big Bang.

Michelle Thaller speaks with Dr. George Helou about a striking new image of Galaxy M82, the discovery of mysterious organic dust clouds around the galaxy, and what they may reveal about the origin of organic material in our own galaxy.

Could Comet Tempel 1 provide the key to understanding solar systems beyond our own? Dr. Carey Lisse talks with Linda Vu about the results of the Deep Impact mission.

Spitzer isn't the only infrared mission. Infrared images from another of NASA's robotic missions help us understand mysterious features on the surface of Mars.

The dust that makes everything around us -- and even ourselves -- may have come from black holes.

Dr. Michelle Thaller discusses new insights into the nature of comets gained from observations by Spitzer and other observatories during the Deep Impact Mission.

In the beginning there was darkness...but now, Spitzer Scientists say they are seeing the universe's first light.

A recent detection of neon gas in planet-forming disks may help us better understand how planets form and whether or not life may exist elsewhere in the cosmos.

Our story begins in the deep, dark universe, where galaxies, like people, lead fascinating lives, filled with drama. (JPL Podcast)

Dr. Tom Jarrett discusses new images of the Tadpole galaxy from NASA's SWIRE mission, and what they may tell us about galaxy evolution and the future of the Milky Way.

Dr. Lin Yan discusses her recent discovery of organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs) in galaxies when our universe was one-fourth of its current age of about 14 billion years -- long before astronomers previously thought the building blocks of life could have formed.

At the center of our Milky Way galaxy is an area previously unseen by astronomers. Shrouded by clouds of swirling dusts and gases, before now our astronomers could only guess at what might lie behind this thick veil.

A teacher and three high school students from the Phillips Exeter Academy visit the Spitzer Science Center, and discuss their participation in a research program to look for dusty, young stars.

Robert Hurt speaks with Dr. Dean Hines by phone about the discovery of an asteroid belt similar to our own around a very young star, and what that might mean for the abundance of planets in the galaxy.

Whitney Clavin speaks with Dr. Marc Kuchner, who has recently discovered signs of surviving comets around a star that died half a billion years ago.

During the infancy of our solar system, when our planets had not yet settled down into their orbits, this was a dangerous place to live. The planets wobbled and jostled around left over asteroids, comets and other debris floating in between their orbits, causing frequent collisions throughout our solar system.

Hubble's "Pillars of Creation" within the Eagle Nebula is one of the most famous astronomical images of all time. But new Spitzer observations by Nicolas Flagey have led to a surprising discovery: they may soon become "Pillars of Destruction."

Young city dwellers on Earth aren't the only ones rushing to suburbia to start families. New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that galaxies also prefer to breed stars in the cosmic suburbs.

Something appears to be pushing around a large clump of material that is in orbit of this star, and it's moving fast enough to make a difference in observations along a five month period.

The star Epsilon Eridani is even stranger than fiction. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has shown it has two asteroid belts.

It's life, Jim, but not as we know it! Well, at least the building blocks of life. A new study from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope hints that planets around stars cooler than our sun might possess a different mix of potentially life-forming chemicals.

Diamonds may be rare on Earth, but surprisingly common in space -- and new research shows that the infrared eyes of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope are perfect for finding them.