Galaxy IRAS F00183-7111
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected the building blocks of life in the distant universe, albeit in a violent milieu. Training its powerful infrared eye on a faint object located at a distance of 3.2 billion light-years (inset), Spitzer has observed the presence of water and organic...
Birth of an Earth-like Planet
This artist's conception shows a binary-star, or two-star, system, called HD 113766, where astronomers suspect a rocky Earth-like planet is forming around one of the stars. At approximately 10 to 16 million years old, astronomers suspect this star is at just the right age for forming rocky planets.
Spitzer Captures Messier 87 (EHT)
This wide-field image of the galaxy M87 was taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The top inset shows a close-up of two shockwaves, created by a jet emanating from the galaxy's supermassive black hole. The Event Horizon Telescope recently took a close-up image of the silhouette of that black...
Scientists were excited to discover clear skies on a relatively small planet, about the size of Neptune, using the combined power of NASA's Hubble, Spitzer and Kepler space telescopes.
Water Vapor in the Young Planetary Disk of AS 205N
This plot of infrared data shows the strong signature of water vapor in the disk of gas and dust surrounding a young star.
Debris Disks Around Sun-Like Star HD 107146
This is a false-color view of a planetary debris disk encircling the star HD 107146, a yellow dwarf star very similar to our Sun, though much younger.
Planet-Forming Disk Around a Baby Star
This artist's concept shows a young star surrounded by a dusty protoplanetary disk. This disk contains the raw material that can form planets as the star system matures.
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.
The atmosphere of the distant "warm Neptune" HAT-P-26b, illustrated here, is unexpectedly primitive, composed primarily of hydrogen and helium.
The sky is a jewelry box full of sparkling stars in these infrared images. The crown jewels are 14 massive stars on the verge of exploding as supernovae.
M81 Galaxy by Starlight
The nearby spiral galaxy, Messier 81 (M81) is shown in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. This image shows us M81 at infrared wavelengths of light at 3.6 & 4.5 microns (blue & green). At these shorter wavelengths of infrared light we are seeing the light from the stars in this...
Visible-Light View of the Antennae Galaxies
This visible-light view of The Antennae Galaxies, a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation Corvus, shows the dust clouds surrounding the two galactic nuclei along with several newly formed, massive stars.
Simulated Atmosphere of a Hot Gas Giant
The turbulent atmosphere of a hot, gaseous planet known as HD 80606b is shown in this simulation based on data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
The Universe's First Fireworks
These images reveal a background glow of light from a period of time when the universe was less than one billion years old. This light most likely originated from the universe's very first groups of objects -- either huge stars or voracious black holes.
Infrared View of M16, the Eagle Nebula
This infrared image of the Eagle Nebula shows swirls of dust amid a field of stars, as well as the famous "pillars of creation" seen by Hubble.
The Jack-o-Lantern Nebula
This carved-out cloud of gas and dust has been nicknamed the "Jack-o'-lantern Nebula" because it looks like a cosmic hollowed-out pumpkin. Powerful outflows of radiation and particles from a massive star known as an O-type star and about 15 to 20 times heavier than the Sun has likely swept the...
For the first time, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected little spheres of carbon, called buckyballs, in a galaxy beyond our Milky Way galaxy.
Building Planets Through Collisions
Planets, including those like our own Earth, form from epic collisions between asteroids and even bigger bodies, called proto-planets. Sometimes the colliding bodies are ground to dust, and sometimes they stick together to ultimately form larger, mature planets.
Awash in Green and Red
This wispy, vast structure in the constellation Cygnus has a small bubble right in its center puffed out by the spasms of fresh-formed, heavyweight stars.
Spitzer Mid-Inrared View of NGC 7331
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured a nearby spiral galaxy that resembles our own Milky Way. The galaxy, known as NGC 7331 and sometimes referred to as our galaxy's twin, is found in the constellation Pegasus at a distance of 50 million light-years.
Distant Galaxy Cluster
This distant galaxy cluster was discovered using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Galaxy NGC 5866 lies 44 million light-years from Earth and has a diameter of roughly 60,000 light-years a little more than half the diameter of our own Milky Way galaxy. From our viewpoint, NGC 5866 is oriented almost exactly edge-on, yielding most of its structural features invisible.
This artist's concept illustrates the two types of spiral galaxies that populate our universe: those with plump middles, or central bulges (upper left), and those lacking the bulge (foreground).
Astronomers have discovered what appears to be a large asteroid belt around the bright star Vega, as illustrated here at left in brown.
This turbulent region, jam-packed with stars, is home to some of the most luminous massive stars in our Milky Way 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.
Dusty Dead Star
A composite image from NASA's Chandra (blue) and Spitzer (green and red-yellow) space telescopes shows the dusty remains of a collapsed star, a supernova remnant called G54.1+0.3.
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope set its infrared eyes upon the dusty remains of shredded asteroids around several dead stars.
Spitzer view of Spiral Galaxy NGC 300
NGC 300 is a face-on spiral galaxy located 7.5 million light-years away in the southern constellation Sculptor. This image taken by the infrared array camera on Spitzer readily distinguishes the main star component of the galaxy (blue) from its dusty spiral arms (red).
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.
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.
All Eyes on Oldest Recorded Supernova
This image combines data from four different space telescopes to create a multi-wavelength view of all that remains of the oldest documented example of a supernova, called RCW 86.
This montage displays an image released from each year of operation of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Now celebrating it's 12th anniversary, Spitzer was first launched into space on August 25, 2003, from Cape Canaveral, Florida and is still going strong.
Perseus' Stellar Neighbors
Baby stars are forming near the eastern rim of the cosmic cloud Perseus, revealed in this infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes have teamed up to uncover a mysterious infant star that behaves like a police strobe light.
TRAPPIST-1 Planet Lineup - Feb. 2018 (unannotated)
This artist's concept shows what the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may look like, based on available data about the planets' diameters, masses and distances from the host star, as of February 2018.
Cassiopeia A Rumbles
This Spitzer Space Telescope composite shows the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A and surrounding clouds of dust. It consists of two processed infrared images taken one year apart. Dust features that have not changed over time appear gray, while those that have changed are colored blue or orange....
Star Formation in Henize 206
Within the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a nearby and irregularly-shaped galaxy seen in the Southern Hemisphere, lies a star-forming region heavily obscured by interstellar dust. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has used its infrared eyes to poke through the cosmic veil to reveal a striking nebula...
Light Echoes in Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A
This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope highlights dramatic changes in phenomena referred to as light echoes around the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant. Cassiopeia A is the remnant of a once massive star that died in a violent supernova explosion. It consists of a dead star, called a...
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.
Probing a Nearby Stellar Cradle
The Cygnus OB2 star cluster is about 5,000 light years from Earth and contains many massive young stars.
Cosmic Ornament of Gas and Dust: Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A
This beautiful bulb might look like a Christmas ornament but it is the blown-out remains of a stellar explosion, or supernova. The remains, called Cassiopeia A, are shown here in an infrared composite from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Spitzer/IRAC View of the Trifid Nebula
The glowing Trifid Nebula is revealed in an infrared view from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The Trifid Nebula is a giant star-forming cloud of gas and dust located 5,400 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius.
A Dusty View of Milky Ways Smaller Cousin
This spectacular spiral galaxy is known to astronomers as Messier 83. Colloquially, it is also called the Southern Pinwheel due to its similarity to the more northerly Pinwheel galaxy Messier 101. NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope shows us, in spectacular detail, the infrared structure of what many...
Fingerprints in the Light
This graph, or spectrum, shows the light from a dusty, distant galaxy located 11 billion light-years away. The galaxy is invisible to optical telescopes, but NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was able to capture the light from it and dozens of other similar galaxies using heat-seeking infrared eyes.
Galaxy M81 in Infrared, Revisited
The magnificent spiral arms of the nearby galaxy Messier 81 are highlighted in this NASA Spitzer Space Telescope image. M81 was one of the first publicly-released datasets soon after Spitzers launch in August of 2003. On the occasion of Spitzers 16th anniversary this new image revisits this...
NGC 1566
This beautiful spiral galaxy NGC 1566, located approximately 60 million light-years away in the constellation Dorado was captured by the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) Legacy Project using the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Array Camera (IRAC).
Visible Light View of the Spiral Galaxy M51 ("Whirlpool Galaxy")
This visible light four-color composite of the spiral galaxy M51 comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope and shows emissions from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature.
Orion Nebula
NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes have teamed up to expose the chaos that baby stars are creating 1,500 light-years away in a cosmic cloud called the Orion Nebula.
Spitzer view of the Antennae Galaxies
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveals hidden populations of newborn stars at the heart of the colliding "Antennae" galaxies. These two galaxies, known individually as NGC 4038 and 4039, are located around 68 million light-years away and have been merging together for...
This illustration shows a star behind a shattered comet which blocked the light of the star as they passed in front of it in 2011 and 2013. The comets are thought to be traveling around the star in a very long, eccentric orbit.
Coiled Creature of the Night
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has imaged a wild creature of the dark -- a coiled galaxy with an eye-like object at its center.
Artist's impression of a firestorm of star birth deep inside core of young, growing elliptical galaxy.
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.
Planetary Demolition Derby
This artist's animation shows a celestial body about the size of our moon slamming at great speed into a body the size of Mercury.
TRAPPIST-1 Planet Lineup
This artist's conception shows what the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system may look like, based on available data about their diameters, masses and distances from the host star.
Seeing Stars in Serpens
Infant stars are glowing gloriously in this infrared image of the Serpens star-forming region, captured by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Illustration of a Light Echo
Across the vast distances of space, light can 'echo' off of distant dust clouds in much the same way that sound can echo off of distant walls.
These four images show bow shocks, or arcs of warm dust formed as winds from fast-moving stars push aside dust grains scattered sparsely through most of the nebula.
Location of Nearest Rocky Exoplanet Known
This sky map shows the location of the star HD 219134, host to the nearest confirmed rocky planet found to date outside of our solar system.
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NASA’s Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The award is part of NASA’s Science Activation program, which strives to further enable NASA science experts and content into the learning environment more effectively and efficiently with learners of all ages.