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Spitzer's Fifth Anniversary
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope continues to surprise astronomers. On its fifth anniversary, we recap some of this Great Observatory's biggest discoveries.
(Running Time: 5:41)
August 25, 2008
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Brightest Star in the Galaxy has New Competition
A contender for the title of brightest star in our Milky Way galaxy has been unearthed in the dusty metropolis of the galaxy's center.
(Running Time: 3:53)
July 15, 2008
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Missing Spiral Arms
As a result of a new Spitzer Space Telescope study, two of our own Milky Way Galaxy's spiral arms have gone away.
(Running Time: 6:07)
June 13, 2008
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Holes on Mars
Spitzer isn't the only infrared mission. Infrared images from another of NASA's robotic missions help us understand mysterious features on the surface of Mars.
(Running Time: 4:44)
May 23, 2008
transcript (.pdf)
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Diamondoids in Space
Diamonds may be rare on Earth, but surprisingly common in space -- and new research shows that the infrared eyes of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope are perfect for finding them.
(Running Time: 3:53)
March 24, 2008
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Common Earths
Terrestrial planets might form around many, if not most, of the nearby sun-like stars in our galaxy. These new results suggest that worlds with potential for life might be more common than we thought.
(Running Time: 5:57)
February 25, 2008
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Cosmic Suburbia
Young city dwellers on Earth aren't the only ones rushing to suburbia to start families. New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that galaxies also prefer to breed stars in the cosmic suburbs.
(Running Time: 3:11)
February 4, 2008
transcript (.pdf)
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Uncommon Moons
New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that moons like Earth's -- that formed out of tremendous collisions -- are uncommon in the universe, arising at most in only 5 to 10 percent of planetary systems.
(Running Time: 4:03)
December 19, 2007
transcript (.pdf)
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Galactic Thief Caught Stealing Gas
A big galaxy, spotted stealing gas from a passing galaxy about half its size, was caught red-handed by the Spitzer Space Telescope.
(Running Time: 7:43)
October 22, 2007
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Dust in the Wind of Black Holes
The dust that makes everything around us -- and even ourselves -- may have come from black holes.
(Running Time: 4:49)
October 9, 2007
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Building an Earth?
An infant Earth may be forming in a star system over 400 light-years away, according to new results from the Spitzer Space Telescope.
(Running Time: 3:28)
October 3, 2007
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Neon Signs in Space
A recent detection of neon gas in planet-forming disks may help us better understand how planets form and whether or not life may exist elsewhere in the cosmos.
(Running Time: 4:38)
September 12, 2007
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Putting the Brakes on Star Formation
Spitzer learns why one class of galaxy seems to have trouble forming new stars.
(Running Time: 4:52)
August 16, 2007
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Planets with Four Suns?
New results from the Spitzer Space Telescope hint that other solar systems may be even more exotic than we've ever imagined.
(Running Time: 4:11)
August 10, 2007
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A Tale of Two Worlds -- One Hot, One Windy
Astronomers have studied two very intriguing planets beyond our solar system -- one super hot, one super windy. This podcast comes from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
(Running Time: 5:01)
May 14, 2007 |
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Double Sunsets in Distant Skies
Once thought to be the stuff of science fiction, double sunsets may be much more common in the universe than previously believed. Dr. David Trilling discusses the Spitzer Space Telescope's recent results.
(Running Time: 7:57)
March 29, 2007 |
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Atmospheres on Alien Worlds
Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have for the first time discovered what the atmosphere is like on planets outside our solar system! Drs. Sara Seager and David Charbonneau discuss this groundbreaking technique with Robert Hurt.
(Running Time: 9:21)
February 21, 2007 |
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Hunting for Molecules on Faraway Planets
A first from the Spitzer Space Telescope. A new finding is a stepping stone to eventually studying signs of life on worlds where life could exist.
(JPL Podcast. Running Time: 10:19)
February 21, 2007
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Pillars of Destruction
Hubble's "Pillars of Creation" within the Eagle Nebula is one of the most famous astronomical images of all time. But new Spitzer observations by Nicolas Flagey have led to a surprising discovery: they may soon become "Pillars of Destruction."
(Running Time: 8:07)
January 9, 2007 |
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Spitzer Sees the Light
In the beginning there was darkness...but now, Spitzer Scientists say they are seeing the universe's first light.
(Running Time: 5:00)
December 18, 2006 |
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Wounded Comet Spills Secrets About Distant Solar Systems
Could Comet Tempel 1 provide the key to understanding solar systems beyond our own? Dr. Carey Lisse talks with Linda Vu about the results of the Deep Impact mission.
(Running Time: 8:14)
December 5, 2006 |
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A Galactic Soap Opera
Our story begins in the deep, dark universe, where galaxies, like people, lead fascinating lives, filled with drama.
(JPL Podcast. Running Time: 6:22)
September 27, 2006
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Cosmic Disk Brakes for Spinning Stars
Can planet-forming disks put the brakes on spinning stars? Dr. Luisa Rebull discusses Spitzer results that may solve this astronomical mystery.
(Running Time: 6:23)
September 8, 2006 |
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Piercing the Sword of Orion
Astronomers have long scrutinized the vast and layered clouds of the Orion nebula, an industrious star-making factory visible to the naked eye in the sword of the famous hunter constellation. Yet, Orion is still full of secrets.
(Running Time: 4:32)
August 14, 2006 |
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Last of the Great Observatories
Years before Spitzer was launched into space, the entire mission was cancelled! Dr. George Rieke discusses the incredible story of what brought it back from the dead, and how that information is influencing new infrared telescopes being developed today.
(Running Time: 7:00)
June 23, 2006 |
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Unmarked Grave of a Dead Star
Spitzer has found a supernova remnant that no other telescope has seen. Dr. Patrick Morris discusses his team's discovery of this shy object which can't be detected in visible or even most bands of infrared light.
(Running Time: 8:03)
June 5, 2006 |
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Searching for Solar Systems Like Ours
Are solar systems like our own common in the universe, or is ours an oddball? Dr. Lynne Hillenbrand discusses her work on a project designed to answer this question, and what they have discovered so far.
(Running Time: 6:09)
May 11, 2006 |
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Phoenix Rising from a Supernova's Ashes
A supernova may be the ultimate end of a star's life, but this may not be the story's end. Recent Spitzer results hint at new planetary systems arising from the ashes of the old. Dr. Deepto Chakrabarty and Zhongxiang Wang discuss their startling discovery.
(Running Time: 6:55)
April 5, 2006 |
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Spitzer Finds Hints of Planet Birth Around Dead Star
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has uncovered new evidence that planets might rise up out of a dead star's ashes.
(JPL Podcast. Running Time: 6:19)
April 5, 2006
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Seeing Smoke from a Galactic Fire
Michelle Thaller speaks with Dr. George Helou about a striking new image of Galaxy M82, the discovery of mysterious organic dust clouds around the galaxy, and what they may reveal about the origin of organic material in our own galaxy.
(Running Time: 6:08)
March 16, 2006 |
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Origins of Organics
Robert Hurt talks to Yanling Wu about her studies of blue compact dwarf galaxies, and what they tell us about the origins of organic molecules in infant galaxies.
(Running Time: 4:53)
March 2, 2006 |
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Finding Crystals in Colliding Galaxies
Robert Hurt interviews Dr. Henrik Spoon about a first in extragalactic astronomy: the detection of delicate crystals on dust grains in the violent centers of colliding galaxies.
(Running Time: 6:11)
February 15, 2006 |
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Survivors Around a Dead Star
Whitney Clavin speaks with Dr. Marc Kuchner, who has recently discovered signs of surviving comets around a star that died half a billion years ago.
(Running Time: 6:11)
January 11, 2006 |
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Alien Asteroid Belts
Robert Hurt speaks with Dr. Dean Hines by phone about the discovery of an asteroid belt similar to our own around a very young star, and what that might mean for the abundance of planets in the galaxy.
(Running Time: 6:42)
December 14, 2005 |
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High School Students Visit Spitzer
A teacher and three high school students from the Phillips Exeter Academy visit the Spitzer Science Center, and discuss their participation in a research program to look for dusty, young stars.
(Running Time: 9:52)
December 8, 2005 |
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The Mountains of Creation
Gay Hill talks to Dr. Lori Allen about the aesthetics and science behind the "Mountains of Creation," a beautiful new Spitzer image of a region of triggered star formation.
(Running Time: 6:02)
November 9, 2005 |
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Tale of the Tadpole Galaxy
Dr. Tom Jarrett discusses new images of the Tadpole galaxy from NASA's SWIRE mission, and what they may tell us about galaxy evolution and the future of the Milky Way.
(Running Time: 7:39)
October 27, 2005 |
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Amazing Andromeda
Observations of our sister galaxy Andromeda reveal a new side to this Milky Way neighbor. Dr. Karl Gordon and Dr. George Rieke discuss Spitzer's fantastically detailed map of its dusty skeleton, previously hidden behind its veil of stars.
(Running Time: 7:16)
October 13, 2005 |
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Cotton Candy Comets
Dr. Michelle Thaller discusses new insights into the nature of comets gained from observations by Spitzer and other observatories during the Deep Impact Mission.
(Running Time: 7:46)
October 6, 2005 |
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What's a Big Galaxy Doing in the Baby Universe?
Astronomers unexpectedly discover that some very massive mature galaxies were already in place only one billion years after the Big Bang.
(Running Time: 5:55)
September 29, 2005 |
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Do Planets Sprout Like Wildflowers?
New Spitzer evidence indicates that some gas giants may have grown in less than one million years, faster than previously believed.
(Running Time: 4:23)
September 15, 2005 |
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Spitzer Turns Two
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope celebrates its second anniversary of uncovering hidden universes of warm stellar embryos, chaotic planet-forming disks, and majestic galaxies.
(Running Time: 3:22)
September 1, 2005 |
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Quasar? Ah, Sirrah!: Finding Hidden Black Holes
Dr. Mark Lacy discusses a population of giant black holes, or quasars, in distant galaxies that, until recent Spitzer observations, were hidden from astronomers behind massive clouds of dust.
(Running Time: 6:00)
August 16, 2005 |
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Lin Yan Gives Us PAHs: Organic Molecules in the Early Universe
Dr. Lin Yan discusses her recent discovery of organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs) in galaxies when our universe was one-fourth of its current age of about 14 billion years -- long before astronomers previously thought the building blocks of life could have formed.
(Running Time: 4:13)
August 3, 2005 |
