Spitzer

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope Detects Light of Alien ‘Super Earth’

May 9, 2012

Seen here in this artist's concept, the planet is called 55 Cancri e. It's a toasty world that rushes around its star every 18 hours. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has detected light emanating from a “super-Earth” planet beyond our solar system for the first time. While the planet is not habitable, the detection is a historic step toward the eventual search for signs of life on other planets. “Spitzer has amazed us yet again,” said Bill Danchi, Spitzer program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The spacecraft is pioneering the study of atmospheres of distant planets and paving the way for NASA’s upcoming James Webb Space Telescope to apply a similar technique on potentially habitable planets.” The planet, called 55 Cancri e, falls into...

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope Detects Comet Storm In Nearby Alien Solar System

October 19, 2011

By Michael Muracco

This artist's conception illustrates a storm of comets around a star near our own, called Eta Corvi. Evidence for this barrage comes from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, whose infrared detectors picked up indications that one or more comets was recently torn to shreds after colliding with a rocky body. In this artist's conception, one such giant comet is shown smashing into a rocky planet, flinging ice- and carbon-rich dust into space, while also smashing water and organics into the surface of the planet. A glowing red flash captures the moment of impact on the planet. Yellow-white Eta Corvi is shown to the left, with still more comets streaming toward it. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has detected signs of icy bodies raining down in an alien solar system. The downpour resembles our own solar system several billion years ago during a period known as the “Late Heavy Bombardment,” which may have brought water and other life-forming ingredients to Earth. During this epoch, comets and other frosty objects that were flung from the outer solar system pummeled the inner planets. The barrage scarred our moon and produced large amounts of dust. Now Spitzer has spotted a band of dust around a nearby bright star in the northern sky called Eta Corvi...

Arp 147: Giant Ring of Black Holes

February 10, 2011

By Michael Muracco

Arp 147 contains the remnant of a spiral galaxy (right) that collided with the elliptical galaxy on the left, producing an expanding wave of star formation that shows up as a blue ring containing in abundance of massive young stars. These stars race through their evolution in a few million years or less and explode as supernovas, leaving behind neutron stars and black holes. A fraction of the neutron stars and black holes will have companion stars, and become bright X-ray sources as they pull in matter from their companions. The nine brilliant X-ray sources scattered around the ring...

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Spitzer

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope Detects Light of Alien ‘Super Earth’

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope Detects Comet Storm In Nearby Alien Solar System

Arp 147: Giant Ring of Black Holes

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NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope Detects Light of Alien ‘Super Earth’

Current Moon Phase