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NASA has released a superb pair of images taken by the Spitzer telescope, an instrument that the agency will close on January 30, 2020.
The Spitzer Space Telescope, which was at work since 2003, sees the universe in infrared. The observatory has been hampered over the past ten years because it lacked coolant, but the instrument still provides a valuable window on the ancient history of the universe.
Because of its sensitivity to infrared, Spitzer can take a look at the nebulae, clouds of dust and gas scattered throughout the universe. The puffy green structures of the newly released image are nebulae, with scattered stars inside, including a group called Cepheus C on the left and another called Cepheus B in the upper right corner. according to a NASA statement.
Related: Happy birthday, Spitzer! The NASA telescope marks 15 years in space
We also see on the picture a cluster of stars and a pillar from which seems to emanate the nebula on the left. The two very bright dots close to each other at the bottom right of the picture represent a young nebula. And above these, the red bow represents a gas shock wave created by the blue star located below, a so-called packed star.
The green image is based on data collected by two Spitzer instruments, but only one of them still works today. the other had to stay cold and was offline since 2009. The comparison of Spitzer's vision of Cepheus C and B with and without this instrument shows the impact of loss of coolant. In the absence of the second instrument, Spitzer can not see the star fleeing, nor a massive star that forms a reddish hourglass shape in the middle of the left nebula band.
Image of the same area of the sky, displaying data from a single Spitzer instrument, called RAIC, that does not require coolant and that still works today.
(Image: © NASA / JPL-Caltech)
Spitzer's main mission was designed to last only two and a half years; the telescope continued to operate at full capacity for 3.5 years longer than that before running out of coolant. In a recent evaluation of the project, NASA decided to end the mission on January 30, 2020, after an agency look for a private organization to resume the telescope returned empty. Scientists are already crying the last days of Spitzer.
"Spitzer allows groundbreaking advances in our understanding of planetary systems around other stars, the evolution of galaxies in the near and far universe, the structure of our Milky Way galaxy, of the infinite variety in the life of the stars and components of our solar system. "Lisa Storrie-Lombardi, Project Manager at Spitzer, wrote in a blog article published on May 14. "I can say with confidence that no one expected the observatory to still work and make exciting science in 2019."
This gives the telescope only eight months to integrate as many observations as possible. Of course, even after Spitzer's deactivation, scientists will be able to access the data collected during his career.
Email Meghan Bartels at [email protected] or follow her. @meghanbartels. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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