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. Hotter temperatures are...
Triangulum Galaxy
M33: Infrared View of a Close Neighbor
One of our closest galactic neighbors shows its awesome beauty in this new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
NGC 6240
Galaxies Collide to Create Hot, Huge Galaxy
This image of a pair of colliding galaxies called NGC 6240 shows them in a rare, short-lived phase of their evolution just before they merge into a single, larger galaxy.
NGC 6240
Ultraluminous Galaxy Merger NGC 6240
This image of a pair of colliding galaxies called NGC 6240 shows them in a rare, short-lived phase of their evolution just before they merge into a single, larger galaxy.
Cat's Eye Nebula
'Cat's Eye' Planetary Nebula
The "Cat's Eye" nebula, or NGC 6543, is a well-studied example of a "planetary nebula." Such objects are the glowing remnants of dust and gas expelled from moderate-sized stars during their last stages of life.
Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan was the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He played a leading role in the American space program since its inception. He was a consultant and adviser to NASA since the 1950's, briefed the...
Pinwheel Galaxy
NASA's Great Observatories Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy
In 1609, Galileo improved the newly invented telescope, turned it toward the heavens, and revolutionized our view of the universe.
Pinwheel Galaxy
Spiral Galaxy M101 - Hubble Space Telescope
In this Hubble image, taken in visible light, the bright blue clumps are regions where new stars have formed.
Pinwheel Galaxy
Spiral Galaxy M101 - Spitzer Space Telescope
Spitzer's view, taken in infrared light, reveals the galaxy's delicate dust lanes as yellow-green filaments.
Pinwheel Galaxy
M101 Composite Image: Chandra Data (Blue Component)
The blue color shows Chandra's view in X-ray light. Sources of X-rays include million-degree gas, exploded stars, and material colliding around black holes.
Pinwheel Galaxy
Spiral Galaxy M101 - NASA's Great Observatories
Three views of the galaxy Messier 101 show a swirling spiral of stars, gas, and dust. Messier 101 is nearly twice as wide as our Milky Way Galaxy.
Pinwheel Galaxy
NASA's Great Observatories Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy
This image of the spiral galaxy Messier 101 is a composite of views from Spitzer, Hubble, and Chandra.
Pinwheel Galaxy
Spiral Galaxy M101 - Chandra X-ray Observatory
Chandra's image of Messier 101, taken in X-ray light, shows the high-energy features of this spiral galaxy.
Pinwheel Galaxy
M101 Composite Image: Spitzer
The red color shows Spitzer's view in infrared light. It highlights the heat emitted by dust lanes in the galaxy where stars can form.
Pinwheel Galaxy
M101 Composite Image: Hubble
The yellow color is Hubble's view in visible light. Most of this light comes from stars, and they trace the same spiral structure as the dust lanes.
HD 80606b
Exoplanet HD 80606b Infrared Light Curve
This figure charts 30 hours of observations taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope of a strongly irradiated exoplanet (an planet orbiting a star beyond our own). It shows the very rapid heating the planet experienced as it swung through its closest approach to the star.
HD 80606b
Severe Exoplanetary Storm
These computer-generated images chart the development of severe weather patterns on the highly eccentric exoplanet HD 80606b during the days after its closest approach to its parent star.
Asteroid 'Bites the Dust' Around Dead Star
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope set its infrared eyes upon the dusty remains of shredded asteroids around several dead stars.
GD 40
Silicates in Alien Asteroids
This plot of data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescopes shows that asteroid dust around a dead "white dwarf" star contains silicates -- a common mineral on Earth.
NGC 3247
2-Channel RCW 49
This image of prolific star-forming region RCW 49 exposes breathtaking detail of this dark and dusty region, which is home to more than 2,200 stars.
W5
Devastated Stellar Neighborhood
This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the nasty effects of living near a group of massive stars: radiation and winds from the massive stars (white spot in center) are blasting planet-making material away from stars like our sun.
2MASS J09393548-2448279
Not-So-Bright Bulbs
This artist's concept shows the dimmest star-like bodies currently knowntwin brown dwarfs referred to as 2M 0939.
Omega Nebula
M17: Celestial Sea of Stars
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured a new, infrared view of the choppy star-making cloud called M17, also known as the Omega Nebula or the Swan Nebula.
Omega Nebula
Celestial Sea of Stars
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured a new, infrared view of the choppy star-making cloud called M17, also known as the Omega Nebula or the Swan Nebula.
Tycho Supernova Remnant
Vivid View of Tycho's Supernova Remnant
This composite image of the Tycho supernova remnant combines infrared and X-ray observations obtained with NASA's Spitzer and Chandra space observatories, respectively, and the Calar Alto observatory, Spain.
Tycho Supernova Remnant
Vivid View of Tycho's Supernova Remnant
This composite image of the Tycho supernova remnant combines infrared and X-ray observations obtained with NASA's Spitzer and Chandra space observatories, respectively, and the Calar Alto observatory, Spain.
Quartz-like Crystals Found in Planetary Disks
This artists concept of a young star and its planet forming disk shows tiny quartz like crystals detected by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The crystals, which are types of silica minerals called cristobalite and tridymite, can be seen close-up in the black-and-white insets.
Epsilon Eridani
Epsilon Eridani: Double the Rubble
This artist's conception shows the closest known planetary system to our own, called Epsilon Eridani. Observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope show that the system hosts two asteroid belts, in addition to previously identified candidate planets and an outer comet ring.
Epsilon Eridani
Epsilon Eridani: Young Solar System in the Making (Unlabeled)
This artist's diagram compares the Epsilon Eridani system to our own solar system. The two systems are structured similarly, and both host asteroids (brown), comets (blue) and planets.
Epsilon Eridani
Epsilon Eridani: Young Solar System in the Making
This artist's diagram compares the Epsilon Eridani system to our own solar system. The two systems are structured similarly, and both host asteroids (brown), comets (blue) and planets.
GOODS South Field
Missing Black Hole Report: Hundreds Found!
Astronomers have unmasked hundreds of black holes hiding deep inside dusty galaxies billions of light-years away.
GOODS South Field
Missing Black Hole Report: Hundreds Found!
Astronomers have unmasked hundreds of black holes hiding deep inside dusty galaxies billions of light-years away. Some of the objects are seen here in this section of the GOODS survey.
GOODS South Field
Missing Black Hole Report: Hundreds Found!
Astronomers have unmasked hundreds of black holes hiding deep inside dusty galaxies billions of light-years away.
Comet Holmes
Anatomy of a Busted Comet
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope captured the picture on the left of comet Holmes in March 2008, five months after the comet suddenly erupted and brightened a millionfold overnight. The contrast of the picture has been enhanced on the right to show the anatomy of the comet.
Comet Holmes
Anatomy of a Busted Comet
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope captured the picture on the left of comet Holmes in March 2008, five months after the comet suddenly erupted and brightened a millionfold overnight. The contrast of the picture has been enhanced on the right to show the anatomy of the comet.
Comet Holmes
Anatomy of a Busted Comet
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope captured the picture on the left of comet Holmes in March 2008, five months after the comet suddenly erupted and brightened a millionfold overnight. The contrast of the picture has been enhanced on the right to show the anatomy of the comet.
NGC 346
Stellar Work of Art
This painterly portrait of a star-forming cloud, called NGC 346, is a combination of multiwavelength light from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (infrared), the European Southern Observatory's New Technology Telescope (visible), and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton space telescope (X-ray).
NGC 346
Stellar Work of Art
This painterly portrait of a star-forming cloud, called NGC 346, is a combination of multiwavelength light from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (infrared), the European Southern Observatory's New Technology Telescope (visible), and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton space telescope (X-ray).
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A: Supernova Flashback (Annotated)
The Cassiopeia A supernova's first flash of radiation makes six clumps of dust (circled) unusually hot.
Cassiopeia A
Cassiopeia A: Supernova Flashback
The Cassiopeia A supernova's first flash of radiation makes six clumps of dust unusually hot.
HH 211
HH 211: Laser-Sharp Jet Splits Water
A jet of gas firing out of a very young star can be seen ramming into a wall of material in this infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Delta 7920H ELV
Poster Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Spitzer's Launch
A poster created for the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the launch of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
MS1054
Collage of Hubble and Spitzer Images of Galaxy Cluster MS1054
A Hubble Space Telescope snapshot of galaxy cluster MS1054 is featured in the center of this image, with individual galaxies spotted by the Spitzer Space Telescope are highlighted along the side in call-out images.
W5
W5 Star Formation Region
Generations of stars can be seen in this new infrared portrait of the star formation region W5 from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
W5
W5 Star Formation Region
Generations of star formation can be seen in this infrared portrait of W5 from the Spitzer Space Telescope
Pinwheel galaxy
No Organics Zone Circles Pinwheel Galaxy
The Pinwheel galaxy, or Messier 101, sports bright reddish edges in this infrared image. Research from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed that this outer red zone lacks organic molecules present in the rest of the galaxy.
W5
W5 Star Formation Region
Generations of stars can be seen in this new infrared portrait of the star formation region W5 from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Pinwheel galaxy
The Pinwheel Galaxy, M101, in the Infrared
The tangled arms of the Pinwheel galaxy, otherwise known as Messier 101, are decked out in red in this new infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
W5
W5 Star Formation Region
Generations of stars can be seen in this new infrared portrait of star formation region W5 from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Peony Nebula
'Peony Nebula' Star Settles for Silver Medal
This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Peony Nebular, which may contain the second brightest star in our galaxy.
Zw II 96
Bursting with Stars: Starburst Galaxy Zw II 96
This image of starburst galaxy Zw II 96 shows what the "Baby Boom" galaxy may look like at closer range.
J100054_023436
Super-Starburst Galaxy: J100054_023436
The green and red splotch in this image is the most active star-making galaxy in the very distant universe. Nicknamed "Baby Boom," the galaxy is churning out an average of up to 4,000 stars per year, more than 10 times the number produced in our own Milky Way galaxy.
J100054_023436
Super-Starburst Galaxy: J100054_023436
The green and red splotch in this image is the most active star-making galaxy in the very distant universe. Nicknamed "Baby Boom," the galaxy is churning out an average of up to 4,000 stars per year, more than 10 times the number produced in our own Milky Way galaxy.
Fireworks Galaxy
The Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946)
NGC 6946, or "The Fireworks Galaxy", is one of about a dozen nearby neighbors to the Milky Way. It is located approximately 10 million light-years away in the Cepheus constellation. This image was captured as part of the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey.
Milky Way
Spitzer Finds Clarity in the Inner Milky Way
More than 800,000 frames from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope were stitched together to create this infrared portrait of dust and stars radiating in the inner Milky Way.
Milky Way
The Milky Way Galaxy (Annotated)
Like early explorers mapping the continents of our globe, astronomers are busy charting the spiral structure of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Using infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way's elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two...
Milky Way
GLIMPSE-MIPSGAL Milky Way 8
This is one segment of an infrared portrait of dust and stars radiating in the inner Milky Way. More than 800,000 frames from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope were stitched together to create the full image, capturing more than 50 percent of our entire galaxy.
Milky Way
The Milky Way Galaxy
Like early explorers mapping the continents of our globe, astronomers are busy charting the spiral structure of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Using infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way's elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two...
Milky Way
Inner Milky Way Raging with Star Formation
More than 444,580 frames from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope were stitched together to create this portrait of the raging star-formation occurring in the inner Milky Way.
Milky Way
A Roadmap to the Milky Way
Like early explorers mapping the continents of our globe, astronomers are busy charting the spiral structure of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Using infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way's elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two...
Milky Way
A Roadmap to the Milky Way (Annotated)
Like early explorers mapping the continents of our globe, astronomers are busy charting the spiral structure of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Using infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way's elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two...
