Mission marvels

Spitzer departs having made some amazing cosmic discoveries and jaw-dropping images

The Crab Nebula

First seen by Chinese astronomers in the 11th century, it’s a gaseous supernova remnant with a neutron star at its heart. Ten centuries later Spitzer, working in tandem with Hubble and Chandra, observed this astronomical object that once glowed as brightly as 400 million suns.

Galaxy M81

Wisps of dust follow the spiral arms of galaxy M81 in this spectacular infrared view. Much of the effect of starlight has been removed in order to emphasise the extent of the dust distribution from the arms into the core of this galaxy, which lies 12 million lightyears from us.

Jack-o’-Lantern Nebula

Like a hollowed-out celestial pumpkin, the Jack-o’-Lantern Nebula features powerful outflows of radiation and particles from a star 15-20 times more massive than our Sun. Its influence swept the surrounding gas and dust away to create strikingly deep gouges.

Zeta Ophiuchi

Massive stellar winds from the giant star Zeta (c) Ophiuchi cause ripples in its surroundings to generate a spectacular bow shock. Over 370 lightyears away, it should be one of the brightest stars in Earth’s sky, but it is obscured by dust. Spitzer’s infrared vision peers through this veil-like shroud.

The heart of the Milky Way

Throngs of ancient stars and luminous clouds of dust lit up by young stars characterise our Milky Way’s heart, which glows brightly at infrared wavelengths. Thousands of very short exposures by Spitzer avoided the saturation of its sensors.