Spitzer space telescope space galaxy nasa. Webb will also explore the universe in infrared light picking up where spitzer eventually will leave off. Nasas spitzer space telescope has captured four stunning portraits of double galaxies collectively known as the whirlpool galaxy. This image from nasas spitzer space telescope might look like a lightsaber floating in space but its actually an entire galaxy viewed on its side. This image from nasas spitzer space telescope might look like a lightsaber floating in space but its actually an entire galaxy viewed on its side.
Initially scheduled for a minimum 25 year primary mission nasas spitzer space telescope has gone far beyond its expected lifetime and is still going strong after 15 years. The spitzer space telescope sst formerly the space infrared telescope facility sirtf is an infrared space telescopeit was launched in 2003 and is planned to be retired in january 2020. Nasa launched its spitzer space telescope into orbit around the sun on aug. It lies 44 million light years from earth and has a diameter of roughly.
It lies 44 million light years from earth and has a diameter of roughly 6. Nasa telescope spots mystery in fireworks galaxy this artists illustration of the exoplanet lhs 3844b shows the planets surface may be covered mostly in dark lava rock with no apparent atmosphere according to observations by nasas spitzer space telescope. Spitzer paves the way for future infrared telescopes. Spitzer is designed to detect infrared radiation which is primarily heat radiation.
The planned mission period was to be 25 years with a pre launch expectation that the mission could extend to five or slightly more years until the onboard liquid helium supply was exhausted. The long red beam in the center of the image is a galaxy called ngc 5866. The spitzer space telescope formerly the space infrared telescope facility or sirtf was the fourth and last of nasas great observatories after the hubble space telescope launched in 1990 the compton gamma ray observatory 1991 and the chandra x ray observatory 1999. The spitzer space telescope is the final mission in nasas great observatories program a family of four space based observatories each observing the universe in a different kind of light.