New findings based on observations by the Spitzer Space Telescope put a limit on the size of the first interstellar object to be seen visiting the Solar System, but ironically it was the inability of the instrument to detect 'Oumuamua that led to the discovery.
Continue Reading
Images taken by NASA's Spitzer Space telescope are providing insight into the phenomenon of "killer" galaxies that, when they merge, shut down star formation within the new united galaxies.
Continue Reading
NASA is marking the 15th launch anniversary of its Spitzer Space Telescope with the release of a VR tour of the TRAPPIST-1 system, and a cosmic selfie app. Spitzer blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on August 25, 2003 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket.
Continue Reading
Like fireworks that linger for millennia, nebulae are some of the most photogenic objects in the universe. These vast clouds of dust and gas represent both the birth and death of stars. New Atlas has collected some of the most breathtaking nebula images ever taken.
Continue Reading
Water is not only a key ingredient in supporting life, it's also a major clue as to how planets form, and NASA has found a lot of the stuff in the atmosphere of a giant exoplanet called Wasp-39b. It's as massive as Saturn but has three times as much water as the famous ringed planet.
Continue Reading
For the first time, astronomers have witnessed a star disappear before their eyes. It appears to have collapsed into a black hole without the usual supernova, marking the first time scientists have witnessed the birth of a black hole, and changing our understanding of the life and death of stars.
Continue Reading
A team of University of Arizona researchers led by Kate Su have used NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) flying observatory to take a closer look at a system 10.5 light years away and discovered it has a familiar general structure.
Continue Reading
An international team of astronomers has announced the discovery of seven Earth-sized exoplanets in orbit around a nearby ultracool red dwarf star, including three that reside in the star's habitable zone.
Continue Reading
To mark the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, NASA today released images of a seemingly heavenly tribute to the television series. Infrared images of a pair of nebulae returned by the Spitzer Space Telescope bear a resemblance to two versions of the starship USS Enterprise.
Continue Reading
Beyond is the name given to the final 30-month mission extension of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Starting in October, the veteran instrument will carry out new observations in astronomy, cosmology, and the search for planets beyond the Solar System.
Continue Reading
See the stories that matter in your inbox every morning