Images From Spitzer Space Telescope

Bond · 12-19-2003, 11:07 PM

NASA's newly named Spitzer Space Telescope has captured dazzling images of a dusty, spiral galaxy; a planet-forming disc; a glowing, stellar nursery and a young, buried star, demonstrating the power of its infrared eyes to spy hidden objects.

Top left: The dusty, star-studded arms of M81, a nearby spiral galaxy similar to our own, are illuminated in unprecedented detail. The image reveals Spitzer's ability to explore regions invisible in optical light.
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Top right: A massive disc of dusty debris encircles a nearby star called Fomalhaut. Such discs are remnants of planetary construction; our own planet is believed to have formed out of a similar disc.
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Bottom left: Resembling a flaming creature on the run, this image exposes the hidden interior of a dark and dusty cloud in the emission nebula IC 1396. Young stars previously obscured by dust can be seen here for the first time.
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Bottom right: This Spitzer image transforms a dark cloud into a silky translucent veil, revealing the stellar winds from an otherwise hidden newborn star called HH46-IR. Spitzer's remarkable capacity to peer through cosmic dust allowed it to unveil this never-before-seen star.
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Launched in August 2003 as the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), Spitzer was renamed in honor of Dr. Lyman Spitzer, Jr, the first to propose placing telescopes in space.

Happydude · 12-19-2003, 11:51 PM

swwet...i wish i was an astronaut

DimHalo · 12-20-2003, 01:03 AM

THose are great! I love astronomy stuff... I wanted to be an astronaust when I was little, then I found out that you can't if you've had prolonged exposure to second hand smoke. Space is a pretty cool thing...

Vampyr · 12-20-2003, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeepnut's Slave

THose are great! I love astronomy stuff... I wanted to be an astronaust when I was little, then I found out that you can't if you've had prolonged exposure to second hand smoke. Space is a pretty cool thing...

I also love space...I wanted to be an Astronaut when I was a kid too. I didnt know what you said about Second-hand smoke...but if it is indeed true, than that pretty much eliminates me from ever being an astronaut.

But I wouldnt mind being a earth based astronomer. Space is fascinating. Ive done a lot of research into it...and not just heavenly bodies...I actually looked up formulas so that I could measure how far away stars and nebuleas and stuff are. Its not to difficult...you use things like parsecs and perspective to figure it out. Some formulas also require the use of magnitude...and most of them use trigonometry.

Back when I was in eigth grade, I actually got first place in astronomy at a regional science team competition. Like half the state of Kentucky was there.

If it would quite snowing, I would get out my telescope and go outside one of these nights over christmas vacation...Im in the nothern hemisphere, and the season is winter, so if I remember correctly, Orion should be visible from where I live.

Jason1 · 12-20-2003, 01:08 PM

That one on the bottom right is the most impressive to me...you can actually see rays of light emitting off what looks like our own sun...only it's not...amazing.

GameMaster · 12-20-2003, 01:47 PM

Cool pictures, I can't wait until space travel is cheap enough for middle class people.

Joeiss · 12-20-2003, 05:08 PM

Lol... you'll obviously be dead by the time that happens.

GameMaster · 12-20-2003, 07:36 PM

I don't think so. They're already offering trips to very wealthy people, it costs like $200,000 now so I think by the time I'm an old man it'll probably be around $20 or something. Hopefully they won't have age restrictions.

jeepnut · 12-21-2003, 02:34 AM

Those pictures look like they were from some new video game.

Bond · 12-21-2003, 09:20 AM

Or the videogames look like those pictures.

jeepnut · 12-21-2003, 10:32 AM

That too.

Ace195 · 12-21-2003, 05:45 PM

That makes me wonder if they can take pictures like that of outerspace just think of what they could take on earth.. *stomps foot* thats it I'm signing up for nasa

Happydude · 12-21-2003, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace195

That makes me wonder if they can take pictures like that of outerspace just think of what they could take on earth.. *stomps foot* thats it I'm signing up for nasa

they allready have those

Ace195 · 12-21-2003, 06:42 PM

crap crap crap crap...