Spitzer Space Telescope
Infrared Eyes on the Cosmos
Spitzer observed the universe in infrared light for more than sixteen years, revealing cool and dust-obscured objects ranging from nearby planetary systems to distant galaxies.
Object type
Infrared space telescope
Launch
August 25, 2003
Mission ended
January 30, 2020
TransitSatellite connection
Spitzer connects infrared astronomy, NASA's Great Observatories, star formation, exoplanets, and the later James Webb Space Telescope.
Objective
See what visible light cannot
Infrared observations allow astronomers to study cool objects and peer through dust that blocks visible wavelengths, opening views of star-forming regions, galaxies, and planetary systems.
Mission design
A cold telescope in an Earth-trailing orbit
Spitzer was designed around sensitive infrared instruments and a thermal architecture that reduced unwanted heat. Its heliocentric Earth-trailing orbit helped separate the observatory from Earth's thermal environment.
Legacy
Infrared astronomy before Webb
Spitzer produced a long record of infrared discoveries and helped establish target lists, observing techniques, and scientific questions that later infrared observatories could pursue at greater sensitivity.
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