Project News

Day of Discovery: 7 Earth-Size Planets

Spitzer • February 22nd, 2022

Five years ago, astronomers revealed a spectacular collection of other worlds: the TRAPPIST-1 system.

NASA’s Spitzer Illuminates Exoplanets in Astronomical Society Briefing

Spitzer • January 13th, 2022

The infrared observatory may help answer questions about planets outside our solar system, or exoplanets, including how they form and what drives weather in their atmospheres.

A ‘Monster’ Star-Forming Region Spied by NASA’s Spitzer

Spitzer • October 25th, 2021

Just like clouds on Earth, clouds of gas and dust in space can sometimes resemble familiar objects, or even popular movie creatures.

An Accidental Discovery Hints at a Hidden Population of Cosmic Objects

Spitzer • August 31st, 2021

Brown dwarfs aren’t quite stars and aren’t quite planets, and a new study suggests there might be more of them lurking in our galaxy than scientists previously thought.

Astronomers Find a ‘Break’ in One of the Milky Way’s Spiral Arms

Spitzer • August 17th, 2021

The newly discovered feature offers insight into the large-scale structure of our galaxy, which is difficult to study from Earth’s position inside it.

Stars Are Exploding in Dusty Galaxies. We Just Can’t Always See Them

Spitzer • August 4th, 2021

Exploding stars generate dramatic light shows. Infrared telescopes like Spitzer can see through the haze and to give a better idea of how often these explosions occur.

Cosmic Legacy: Retired Space Telescope Reveals ‘Hot Jupiter' Secrets

Spitzer • July 26th, 2021

Among the first, and strangest, planets to be detected around other stars is a variety known as “hot Jupiters” – star-hugging, superheated giants once thought so unlikely that...

New Spitzer Space Telescope Poster Released

Spitzer • July 22nd, 2021

This poster depicts the TRAPPIST-1 planets, some of which were discovered by Spitzer.

Cosmic dawn occurred 250 to 350 million years after Big Bang

Spitzer • June 25th, 2021

Cosmic dawn, when stars formed for the first time, occurred 250 million to 350 million years after the beginning of the universe, according to a new study led by researchers at...

Trio of Fast-Spinning Brown Dwarfs May Reveal a Rotational Speed Limit

Spitzer • April 7th, 2021

Brown dwarfs, sometimes known as “failed stars,” can spin at upwards of 200,000 mph, but there may be a limit to how fast they can go.