SPACE

NASA retires Spitzer Space Telescope with release of stunning images

January 30, 2020

NASA plans to shut down the Spitzer Space Telescope, which sees the Universe in infrared light. Because of its infrared sensitivity, Spitzer can get exceptional views of nebulas, the clouds of dust and gas peppered throughout the Universe.

The agency marked the announcement with the release of a stunning pair of images taken by the instrument of nebulas, with stars scattered within them, including a cluster called Cepheus C and another called Cepheus B.

The primary mission of Spitzer, launched on Aug 23, 2003, was designed to last only 2.5 years. The telescope kept working at full capacity for 3.5 years longer than that before running out of coolant.

Space.com reports that a star cluster and pillar are also on display in the image.
The green-tinted image draws on data gathered by two of Spitzer’s instruments, but only one of them is still working today; the other needed to be kept cool and has been offline since 2009.

The publication notes that NASA decided to end the mission in 2020 after an agency search for a private organization to take over the telescope turned up empty.

#23162 Published: July 4, 2019