This image shows an infrared view from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope of the galaxy Messier 82. A visible-light picture of the "Cigar" galaxy, also called Messier 82, shows only a bar of light against a dark patch of space. Longer exposures of the galaxy (not pictured here) have revealed...
CL0958+4702
Galactic Pileup
This artist's concept illustrates one of the largest smash-ups of galaxies ever observed. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope spotted the four galaxies shown here (yellow blobs) in the process of tangling and ultimately merging into a single gargantuan galaxy.
CL0958+4702
Whopper Galaxy Collision
One of the biggest galaxy collisions ever observed is taking place at the center of this image. The four white blobs in the middle are large galaxies that have begun to tangle and ultimately merge into a single gargantuan galaxy.
CL0958+4702
Whopper Galaxy Collision
One of the biggest galaxy collisions ever observed is taking place at the center of this image. The four white blobs in the middle are large galaxies that have begun to tangle and ultimately merge into a single gargantuan galaxy.
CL0958+4702
Fearsome Foursome: A Huge Galactic Merger
One of the biggest galaxy collisions ever observed is taking place at the center of this image. The four yellow blobs in the middle are large galaxies that have begun to tangle and ultimately merge into a single gargantuan galaxy.
HD 98800
Evidence for a Strange Stellar Family
This artist's concept depicts a quadruple-star system called HD 98800. The system is approximately 10 million years old, and is located 150 light-years away in the constellation Crater. HD98800 is included in the TW Hydrae association.
The Spitzer Space Telescope Spectrum
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is an infrared eye onto the universe. This diagram illustrates just where Spitzer's vision extends in the spectrum of light, shown as a horizontal band.
Sun
Sun and Earth in Scale
This illustration shows the relative sizes of the Sun and the Earth by placing them impossibly close together.
HD 189733b
Steaming Hot Planet
Scientists have reported the first conclusive discovery of water vapor in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our Solar System.
HD 189733b
Exoplanet Forecast: Hot and Wet
This plot of data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope tells astronomers that a toasty gas exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system, contains water vapor.
HD 189733b
Steaming Hot Planet
Scientists have reported the first conclusive discovery of water vapor in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our Solar System.
Abell 2667
Comet Galaxy in Abell 2667
The "Comet Galaxy, " part of the galaxy cluster Abell 2667, is the bright red object seen to the left of the cluster center. Also seen in the image is a rare giant infrared arc, the lensed image of a very distant galaxy.
LMC
A Supernova's Shockwaves: N132D
This composite X-ray and infrared image of supernova remnant N132D shows the aftermath of a massive star's violent death.
Highway of Stars
This artist's concept shows a newly discovered stream of ancient stars passing just over the head of the constellation Leo (on the right), before plunging through the heart of the Great Bear, or Big Dipper constellation (to the left).
Milky Way
Rings Around the Galaxy (Annotated)
Three newly-discovered streams arcing high over the Milky Way Galaxy are remnants of cannibalized galaxies and star clusters. The streams are between 13,000 and 130,000 light-years distant from Earth and extend over much of the Northern sky.
Depth Perception in Space
This artist's concept shows how astronomers use the unique orbit of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and a depth-perceiving trick called parallax to determine the distance of dark planets, black holes, and failed stars which lurk invisibly among us.
OGLE-2005-SMC-001
Distance to Dark Bodies
Using the unique orbit of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and a depth-perceiving trick called parallax, astronomers have determined the distance to an invisible Milky Way object called OGLE-2005-SMC-001. This artist's concept illustrates how this trick works: different views from both Spitzer and...
Bode's Galaxy
Multiwavelength M81
This beautiful galaxy, M81, is seen at visible, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths in this composite image.
Milky Way
Rings Around the Galaxy
Three newly-discovered streams arcing high over the Milky Way Galaxy are remnants of cannibalized galaxies and star clusters. The streams are between 13,000 and 130,000 light-years distant from Earth and extend over much of the Northern sky.
Coma Cluster
Dwarf Galaxies in the Coma Cluster
This mosaic of the central region of the Coma cluster combines infrared and visible-light images to reveal thousands of faint objects (green), many of which are dwarf galaxies.
Coma Cluster
Dwarf Galaxies in the Coma Cluster
This false-color mosaic of the central region of the Coma cluster combines infrared and visible-light images to reveal thousands of faint objects (green), many of which are dwarf galaxies.
Barnard 30
Young Stars Emerge from Orion's Head
This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows infant stars "hatching" in the head of the hunter constellation, Orion.
Barnard 30
Young Stars Emerge from Orion's Head
This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows infant stars "hatching" in the head of the hunter constellation, Orion.
HD 149026b
Blacker than Black
This artist's concept illustrates the hottest planet yet observed in the Universe. The scorching ball of gas, a "hot Jupiter" called HD 149026b, is a sweltering 3,700 degrees Fahrenheit (2,040 degrees Celsius) -- about 3 times hotter than the rocky surface of Venus, the hottest planet in or Solar...
HD 189733b
First Map of an Exoplanet Atmosphere
This is the first-ever map of the surface of an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system. The map, which shows temperature variations across the cloudy tops of a gas giant called HD 189733b, is made up of infrared data taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
HD 189733b
First Map of an Exoplanet Atmosphere
This is the first-ever map of the surface of an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system. The map, which shows temperature variations across the cloudy tops of a gas giant called HD 189733b, is made up of infrared data taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Evaporating Protoplanetary Disk
"The further on the edge, the hotter the intensity," sings Kenny Loggins in "Danger Zone," a song made famous by the movie "Top Gun." The same words ring true for young, cooler stars like our sun that live in the danger zones around scorching hot stars, called O-stars. The closer a young,...
Rosette Nebula
Planetary Danger Zones in the Rosette Nebula
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Rosette nebula, a pretty star-forming region more than 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros. In this image, call-outs show where young solar systems are being destroyed by nearby hot stars.
Rosette Nebula
Heart of the Rosette Nebula
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Rosette nebula, a pretty star-forming region more than 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros.
Rosette Nebula
Heart of the Rosette Nebula
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Rosette nebula, a pretty star-forming region more than 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros.
Rosette Nebula
Planetary Danger Zones in the Rosette Nebula
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Rosette nebula, a pretty star-forming region more than 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros. In this image, call-outs show where young solar systems are being destroyed by nearby hot stars.
BHR 71
Visible Light Image of BHR 71
Two rambunctious young stars are destroying their natal dust cloud with powerful jets of radiation. The stars are located approximately 600 light-years away in a cosmic cloud called BHR 71.
BHR 71
Spitzer Digs Up Hidden Stars: Infrared Image of BHR 71
Two rambunctious young stars are destroying their natal dust cloud with powerful jets of radiation, revealed in an infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The stars are located approximately 600 light-years away in a cosmic cloud called BHR 71.
BHR 71
Combined Visible/Infrared Image of BHR 71
Two rambunctious young stars are destroying their natal dust cloud with powerful jets of radiation, as revealed in an infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The stars are located approximately 600 light-years away in a cosmic cloud called BHR 71.
BHR 71
Spitzer Digs Up Hidden Stars in a Dark Molecular Cloud
Two rambunctious young stars are destroying their natal dust cloud with powerful jets of radiation, in an infrared composite image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The stars are located approximately 600 light-years away in a cosmic cloud called BHR 71.
Pleiades
The Seven Sisters (Pleiades) Pose for Spitzer and for You!
The Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades, seem to float on a bed of feathers in a new infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Clouds of dust sweep around the stars, swaddling them in a cushiony veil.
Pleiades
The Seven Sisters (Pleiades) Pose for Spitzer and for You!
The Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades, seem to float on a bed of feathers in a new infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Clouds of dust sweep around the stars, swaddling them in a cushiony veil.
Pleiades
The Seven Sisters (Pleiades) Pose for Spitzer and for You!
The Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades, seem to float on a bed of feathers in a new infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Clouds of dust sweep around the stars, swaddling them in a cushiony veil.
Pleiades
Pink Pleiades
The Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades, seem to float on a bed of feathers in a new infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Clouds of dust sweep around the stars, swaddling them in a cushiony veil.
Messier 106
Anomalous Arms: Spiral Galaxy M106
In this composite image of spiral galaxy M106 (NGC 4258), optical, radio and infrared data combine to contrast the spiral arms across the spectrum.
Alien Sunset
Our solitary sunsets here on Earth might not be all that common in the grand scheme of things. New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have revealed that mature planetary systems are more frequent around binary stars than single ones like our Sun.
Where Planets Take up Residence
This diagram illustrates that mature planetary systems like our own might be more common around twin, or binary, stars that are either really close together, or really far apart.
Solar System with Snug Suns
This artist's concept depicts a faraway solar system like our own except for one big difference. Planets and asteroids circle around not one, but two suns. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence that such solar systems might be common in the Universe
Isolating a Planet's Spectrum
This diagram illustrates how astronomers can capture the elusive spectra of hot-Jupiter planets by comparing observations including light from both the star and planet to those containing just the star.
HD 209458b
Cracking the Code of Faraway Worlds: an Exoplanet Atmosphere
This infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope called a spectrum tells astronomers that a distant gas planet, a so-called "hot Jupiter" called HD 209458b, might be smothered with high clouds. It is one of the first spectra of an alien world.
Hot, Dry and Cloudy Planet
This artist's concept shows a cloudy Jupiter-like planet that orbits very close to its fiery hot star. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was recently used to capture spectra, or molecular fingerprints, of two "hot Jupiter" worlds like the one depicted here.
HD 209458b
Cracking the Code of Faraway Worlds: Atmosphere of Planet HD209458b
This infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope called a spectrum tells astronomers that a distant gas planet, a so-called "hot Jupiter" called HD 209458b, might be smothered with high clouds. It is one of the first spectra of an alien world.
HD 189733b
Cracking the Code of Faraway Worlds: An Exoplanet Atmosphere
This infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope called a spectrum tells astronomers that a distant gas planet, a so-called "hot Jupiter" called HD 189733b, might be smothered with high clouds. It is one of the first spectra of an alien world.
Helix Nebula
Comets Kick Up Dust in Helix Nebula
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colors and eerie resemblance to a giant eye.
Helix Nebula
Comets Kick Up Dust in Helix Nebula
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colors and eerie resemblance to a giant eye.
Arp 82
Older Galaxy Pair Has Surprisingly Youthful Glow
Arp 82, a pair of interacting galaxies, bask in the glow of newly forming stars, something the two pre-collision galaxies seem to have lacked. With this discovery, Spitzer shows the strong link between galaxy interaction and star formation.
HD168625
Luminous Blue Variable HD 168625: Destined To Be a Supernova?
A Luminous Blue Variable star, HD168625, is surrounded by a bipolar nebula that is similar to the one around SN 1987A. This may explain how the structure around SN1987A formed pre-supernova, and it may signal that HD168625 is nearing the end.
HD 168625
A Diagram of HD168625, a Luminous Blue Variable with a Bi-Polar Outflow
A Luminous Blue Variable star, HD168625, is surrounded by a bipolar nebula that is similar to the one around SN1987A. This may explain how the structure around SN1987A formed pre-supernova, and it may signal that HD168625 is nearing the end.
Eagle Nebula
The Eagle Nebula in Infrared
This infrared view of the Eagle Nebula contrasts the hot dust of a supernova with cooler regions of star formation.
Forecasting Weather on Distant Worlds
An artist's concept shows a gas-giant planet orbiting very close to its parent star, creating searingly hot conditions on the planet's surface.
Eagle Nebula
Unwrapping the Pillars
This image composite highlights the pillars of the Eagle nebula, as seen in infrared light by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (bottom) and visible light by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (top insets).
Eagle Nebula
24 Micron View of the Eagle Nebula, M16
This 24 Micron picture of the Eagle Nebula reveals hot gas from an exploded star deep within the nebula.
Eagle Nebula
Cosmic Epic Unfolds in Infrared: the Eagle Nebula with Call-Out
This majestic view taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope tells an untold story of life and death in the Eagle nebula, an industrious star-making factory located 7,000 light-years away in the Serpens constellation. The image shows the region's entire net
Eagle Nebula
Cosmic Epic Unfolds in Infrared: The Eagle Nebula
This majestic view taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope tells an untold story of life and death in the Eagle nebula, an industrious star-making factory located 7,000 light-years away in the Serpens constellation.
Eagle Nebula
Cosmic Epic Unfolds in Infrared: the Eagle Nebula
This majestic view taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope tells an untold story of life and death in the Eagle nebula, an industrious star-making factory located 7,000 light-years away in the Serpens constellation.
HD 168625
Spitzer Image of HD168625: Ready to go Supernova?
A Luminous Blue Variable star, HD168625, is surrounded by a bipolar nebula that is similar to the one around SN1987A. This may explain how the structure around SN1987A formed pre-supernova, and it may signal that HD168625 is nearing the end.
