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Spitzer Space Telescope

The Spitzer Space Telescope was an infrared space observatory launched by NASA in 2003, which operated until 2020, providing insights into the early universe, exoplanets, and more.

Source: jpl.nasa.gov

APODs including "Spitzer Space Telescope"

The Spider Nebula in Infrared

04/09/2019

The Spider Nebula in Infrared
Image Credit: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Will the spider ever catch the fly? Not if both are large emission nebulas toward the constellation of the Charioteer (Auriga). The spider-shaped gas cloud on the left is actually an emission nebula labelled IC 417, while a smaller fly-shaped cloud off the image to the left is dubbed NGC 1931 and is both an emission nebula and a reflection nebula. About 10,000 light-years distant, both nebulas harbor young, open star clusters. For scale, the more compact NGC 1931 (Fly) is about 10 light-years across. The featured picture in scientifically-assigned, infrared colors combines images from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). Spitzer is celebrating its 16th year orbiting the Sun near the Earth. APOD in other languages: Arabic, Catalan, Chinese (Beijing), Chinese (Taiwan), Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Farsi, French, French, German, Hebrew, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Montenegrin, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish and Ukrainian