spitzer_sig14-016 June 19th, 2014
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Northern Arizona University/SAO
This image of asteroid 2011 MD was taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in Feb. 2014, over a period of 20 hours. The long observation, taken in infrared light, was needed to pick up the faint signature of the small asteroid (center of frame). The Spitzer observations helped narrow down the size of the space rock to roughly 20 feet (6 meters), making it one of a few candidates for NASA's proposed Asteroid Redirect Mission for which sizes are approximately known.
This image was taken by Spitzer's Infrared Array Camera at a wavelength of 4.5 microns.
Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope
Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/5883-sig14-016-I-Spy-a-Little-Asteroid-With-My-Infrared-Eye
Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA
Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
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