Spitzer Space Telescope

A NASA space observatory that studied the universe primarily in infrared light from 2003 to 2020. Its cold, space-based instruments revealed objects and phenomena obscured or faint in visible light.

Infrared astronomy: The study of celestial objects and phenomena through infrared radiation. Spitzer was designed to observe wavelengths that ground-based telescopes often cannot detect.
Exoplanet: A planet that orbits a star beyond the Sun. Spitzer measured infrared signals from exoplanets and helped characterize their atmospheres.
Great Observatories program: A NASA program of space telescopes designed to observe the universe across different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Spitzer was the program’s infrared observatory, complementing visible, X-ray, and gamma-ray missions.
Hubble Space Telescope: A NASA and ESA space observatory that primarily studies ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. Hubble and Spitzer observed overlapping targets in different wavelength ranges.
TRAPPIST-1: A nearby ultracool dwarf star system with seven known Earth-sized planets. Spitzer refined the planets’ sizes and orbits, establishing the system as a major target for atmospheric study.
Infrared detector: A sensor that measures infrared radiation by converting it into an electrical signal. Spitzer’s instruments used infrared detectors to record faint astronomical sources.
Transit method: A method for detecting a planet by measuring the dip in a star’s brightness as the planet crosses its disk. Spitzer used precise infrared photometry to measure transiting planets and their atmospheres.
NASA: The United States government agency responsible for civilian space exploration and aeronautics research. NASA developed and operated Spitzer with contributions from academic and international partners.
James Webb Space Telescope: A NASA, ESA, and CSA space observatory designed for infrared astronomy. Webb succeeded Spitzer’s role in infrared research with a larger mirror and different instruments.
GLIMPSE survey: A Spitzer survey that mapped the Milky Way’s inner plane in infrared light. Its images exposed stars and structures hidden behind dense interstellar dust.

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