With End in Sight, Spitzer Space Telescope Releases Glorious Nebula Images

[Judi Lynn]

By Meghan Bartels 5 hours ago


- video at link -

NASA has released a stunning pair of images taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope, an instrument the agency will be shutting down on Jan. 30, 2020.

The Spitzer Space Telescope, which has been at work since 2003, sees the universe in infrared light. For the past decade, the observatory has been hindered because it ran out of coolant, but the instrument still offers a valuable window into the early history of the universe.

Because of its infrared sensitivity, Spitzer can get a stunning look at nebulas, the clouds of dust and gas peppered throughout the universe. The puffy green structures in the newly released image are nebulas, with stars scattered within them, including a cluster called Cepheus C on the left and one called Cepheus B in the upper right corner, according to a NASA statement.

Also on display in the image are a star cluster and pillar, from which the left-hand nebula appears to be emanating. The two very bright spots close together toward the bottom right of the image represent a young nebula. And above those, the red arc represents a shock wave of gas created by the blue star below it, a so-called runaway star.

More:
https://www.space.com/cepheus-nebula-image-spitzer-telescope-ending.html

[rurallib]

1. mind blowing

[Princess Turandot]

2. Images from the NASA/JPL Photojournal:

Much larger versions are available on the linked pages, along with descriptions and annotated images.

PIA23127: Cepheus C and Cepheus B Region by Spitzer (One-Instrument)

PIA23126: Cepheus C and Cepheus B Region by Spitzer (Two-Instrument)

[at140]

3. Thanks for posting this...always enjoy watching

how big the universe is and how small we are in comparison.