NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Provides Visual Feast Online

The magic of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope comes alive in an online interactive presentation, available now at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/stars_galaxies/, http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/spitzer-2005 or http://www.nasa.gov/centers/jpl/starsgalaxies/index.html.

The show-and-tell feature highlights colorful images of galaxies, nebulas and other celestial wonders, all captured during the mission’s first year-and-a-half in space. The images, coupled with artists’ concepts, text and interviews with scientists, illustrate how Spitzer’s powerful infrared eyes are dramatically enhancing our knowledge of the universe.

Infrared is particularly effective for penetrating thick, murky regions of space and revealing what lies beyond. Recent Spitzer discoveries include details about the chaotic planet-forming process around stars; a faint, star-like object in an area previously believed to be star-free; and a star system that may harbor the youngest planet ever found.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center, Pasadena, Calif. JPL is a division of Caltech.

Additional information about the Spitzer Space Telescope is available at http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu.