Hidden Universe: NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope
52 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 6 years ago - ★★★★ - 188 ratingsWitness our universe in a whole new way! This video series highlights some of the most exciting discoveries from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. In-depth 'Showcase' features, striking 'Gallery Explorer' montages, and other whimsical specials take you beyond the visible to a universe of dust and stars hidden from Earth-bound eyes. Spitzer is the infrared component of the NASA Great Observatory program which also includes Hubble (visible), Chandra (x-ray), and Compton (gamma ray).
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Episodes
Homes Away From Home? Revisiting the Seven Planets of TRAPPIST-1
February 22, 2018 00:00 - 215 MB VideoOne year ago, astronomers announced the discovery that seven roughly Earth-sized worlds orbited around the nearby star TRAPPIST-1. Now a year later, additional data have refined our understanding of these planets.We now know more about the TRAPPIST-1 system than any other solar system other than our own.
Improving Brown Dwarf Weather Forecasts
August 17, 2017 00:00 - 32.3 MB VideoThis artist's concept animation shows a brown dwarf with bands of clouds, thought to resemble those seen on Neptune and the other outer planets in the solar system.
Brown Dwarf Weather Annotated
August 17, 2017 00:00 - 32.3 MB VideoThis artist's concept animation shows a brown dwarf with bands of clouds, thought to resemble those seen on Neptune and the other outer planets in the solar system.
5000 Days in the Life of an Astronomy Robot
May 03, 2017 00:00 - 113 MB VideoMay 3rd, 2017 marks the 5,000th day of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope mission. This video gives us a detailed look at six of these days, showing how an automated observatory like Spitzer, which is effectively an astronomy robot, spends its time. It’s overall mission design allows for an unprecedented degree of efficiency, allowing it to study the full range of astronomical phenomena including nearby objects in the solar system, stars in our galaxy, and galaxies out to the edge of the observab...
Spitzer Beyond
August 26, 2016 00:00 - 113 MB VideoNASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which launched Aug. 25, 2003, will begin an extended mission—the “Beyond” phase—on Oct. 1, 2016.
The Wild Temperature Swings of an Exoplanet
March 28, 2016 00:00 VideoThe exoplanet HD80606 b spends most of its time far from its star, but every 111 days it swings in feverishly close. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope measured the planet's extreme temperature swings using infrared light. This allowed astronomers to simulate its atmosphere.
Catching a GLIMPSE of the Milky Way
March 20, 2014 05:00 - 198 MB VideoWelcome home! This is our Milky Way galaxy as you’ve never seen it before. Ten years in the making, this is the clearest infrared panorama of our galactic home ever made, courtesy of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
10 Years of Innovation
August 23, 2013 00:00 - 156 MB VideoOn August 25, 2003, NASA launched the Spitzer Space Telescope to reveal secrets of the infrared universe.
Possible Nearby Exoplanet Smaller than Earth (Update)
August 07, 2012 00:00 - 67.6 MB VideoAstronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have detected what they believe is an alien world just two-thirds the size of Earth - one of the smallest on record!
Cygnus X Marks the Spot (Gallery Explorer)
May 21, 2012 00:00 - 103 MB VideoOver the last half century this Cygnus X has been yielding its secrets to the scrutiny of infrared observations. NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has now provided the best view yet of what we now know is one of the largest single areas of star formation in our Milky Way galaxy.
The Galactic Center Revisited (Hidden Universe Gallery Explorer)
August 23, 2011 00:00 - 92.7 MB VideoHiding behind the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius is the center of our own Milky Way galaxy, over 25,000 light years away. This patch of sky is mostly dark in visible light, shrouded by dust clouds that lie between us and the Galactic center. But the infrared vision of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope sees through the dust showing us this strange and tumultuous region.
The Galactic Center Revisited (Gallery Explorer)
August 23, 2011 00:00 - 92.7 MB VideoHiding behind the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius is the center of our own Milky Way galaxy, over 25,000 light years away. This patch of sky is mostly dark in visible light, shrouded by dust clouds that lie between us and the Galactic center. But the infrared vision of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope sees through the dust showing us this strange and tumultuous region.
The North America Nebula (Gallery Explorer)
February 10, 2011 00:00 - 58.5 MB VideoSeen here in visible light, the North America Nebula strangely resembles its namesake continent. Expanding our view to include infrared light, the dark dust lanes and concealed stars glow in red colors while the continental gas clouds shift to an ocean-‐like blue. Pushing entirely into the infrared spectrum, we see even more detail in the convoluted dust clouds.
The Art of Exoplanets
December 23, 2010 00:00 - 92.1 MB VideoWhile astronomers have identified over 500 planets around other stars, they’re all too small and distant to fill even a single pixel in our most powerful telescopes. That’s why science must rely on art to help us imagine these strange new worlds.
The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS)
October 07, 2010 00:00 - 286 MB VideoToday's telescopes study the sky across the electromagnetic spectrum. Each part of the spectrum tells us different things about the Universe, giving us more pieces of the cosmic jigsaw puzzle. The most powerful telescopes on the ground and in space have joined forces over the last decade in a unique observing campaign, known as the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey, or GOODS, which reaches across the spectrum and deep back into cosmic time.
The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (Special)
October 07, 2010 00:00 - 286 MB VideoToday's telescopes study the sky across the electromagnetic spectrum. Each part of the spectrum tells us different things about the Universe, giving us more pieces of the cosmic jigsaw puzzle. The most powerful telescopes on the ground and in space have joined forces over the last decade in a unique observing campaign, known as the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey, or GOODS, which reaches across the spectrum and deep back into cosmic time.
The Dragon and the Swan (Gallery Explorer)
July 09, 2010 00:00 - 75.3 MB VideoHidden behind a dark veil of dust in the constellation Sagittarius, a lurking dragon has been revealed by the infrared eye of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. It gives us a glimpse into how spiral arms affect the formation of stars.
The Dragon and the Swan (Hidden Universe Gallery Explorer)
July 09, 2010 00:00 - 75.3 MB VideoHidden behind a dark veil of dust in the constellation Sagittarius, a lurking dragon has been revealed by the infrared eye of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. It gives us a glimpse into how spiral arms affect the formation of stars.
When Worlds Collide (Showcase)
June 01, 2010 00:00 - 153 MB VideoWhen worlds collide, the result is spectacular, and astronomers think they’ve detected the aftermath of such an event around another star.
The WISE Sky (Gallery Explorer)
March 19, 2010 00:00 - 76.6 MB VideoIn December of 2009, NASA launched its latest infrared telescope, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. This satellite, also known as WISE, is on a mission to map the entire sky in infrared light.
The Wise Sky (Gallery Explorer)
March 19, 2010 00:00 - 76.6 MB VideoIn December of 2009, NASA launched its latest infrared telescope, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. This satellite, also known as WISE, is on a mission to map the entire sky in infrared light.
The Many Views of the Milky Way (Gallery Explorer)
February 05, 2010 00:00 - 80.1 MB VideoIn May of 2009, the European Space Agency successfully launched the Herschel Space Observatory, a new eye for the infrared universe. Its 3.5 meter mirror lets us see into the far infrared spectrum with unprecedented clarity.
The One Ring of Saturn (Showcase)
November 25, 2009 00:00 - 152 MB VideoAstronomers have found One Ring to rule them all, not in the land of Mordor, but around Saturn, the Lord of the Rings of the solar system.
Cooking Up Cometary Crystals (Hidden Universe)
September 03, 2009 00:00 - 149 MB VideoThe fading light of a flaring young star has shed light on a puzzle involving crystals and comets.
Cooking Up Cometary Crystals (Showcase)
September 03, 2009 00:00 - 149 MB VideoThe fading light of a flaring young star has shed light on a puzzle involving crystals and comets.
Orion Nebula (Gallery Explorer)
June 18, 2009 00:00 - 62.6 MB VideoExplore the dusty secrets of the Orion Nebula through Spitzer's infrared vision.
A Galaxy of a Different Color (Showcase)
April 08, 2009 00:00 - 183 MB VideoTo commemorate this International Year of Astronomy, three of NASA's flagship observatories have put a new spin on how we see the Pinwheel Galaxy!
The Omega Nebula (Gallery Explorer)
February 02, 2009 00:00 - 49.8 MB VideoThe Omega Nebula, or M17, is a star-forming region in the constellation of Sagittarius and is about 6,000 light years away.
The W5 Stellar Blast Furnace (Showcase)
December 26, 2008 00:00 - 176 MB VideoIt's a chaotic region, sculpted by the glare of one generation of massive stars that's giving rise to the next.
The Milky Way Big Picture (Showcase)
October 30, 2008 00:00 - 155 MB VideoTwo and a half billion infrared pixels are exposing our own Galaxy in this new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope!
Snowflake Cluster (Gallery Explorer)
August 12, 2008 00:00 - 60.7 MB VideoA group of baby stars form a "stellar snowflake" in Spitzer's observations of a dusty region near the Cone Nebula.
Echoes of a Supernova (Showcase)
June 13, 2008 00:00 - 148 MB VideoA supernova flash echoing through surrounding dust clouds has given astronomers a virtual time machine for studying the light from the explosion that nobody saw.
Protostellar Jets (Gallery Explorer)
April 15, 2008 00:00 - 58.7 MB VideoGiant jets from baby stars blow colorful bubbles in interstellar space. Spitzer's infrared view reveals these structures in colorful ways never seen before.
Promo: IRrelevant Astronomy
April 04, 2008 00:00 - 20.6 MB VideoIRrelevant Astronomy takes a lighthearted, comedic look at the infrared Universe. Enjoy this peek at the Spitzer Space Telescope's newest video podcast series.
Rho Ophiuchi Cloud (Gallery Explorer)
February 13, 2008 00:00 - 68.3 MB VideoOne of the most striking nearby star-forming regions is the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud. New images from Spitzer reveal its infrared wonders.
The X-Planets (Showcase)
December 22, 2007 00:00 - 201 MB VideoThese two extreme planets have set the records for the hottest and windiest known worlds anywhere.
Galaxies (Gallery Explorer)
November 30, 2007 00:00 - 57.4 MB VideoGalaxies take on striking new colors and structures when viewed by the infrared eye of the Spitzer Space Telescope.
Trilogy of Terror (Showcase)
October 30, 2007 00:00 - 159 MB VideoFor Halloween, a trilogy of spooky star-forming regions tell a haunting tale of the lives and deaths of stars.
Mira, A Real Shooting Star (Showcase)
October 02, 2007 00:00 - 161 MB VideoThe star Mira has kept a stunning secret that scientists have only just discovered in the glow of ultraviolet light.
Helix Nebula (Gallery Explorer)
September 05, 2007 00:00 - 54.4 MB VideoThe eerie Helix nebula, created from the outer layers of a dying star once like our own, reveals secrets to the Spitzer Space Telescope.
Eta Carinae (Gallery Explorer)
July 20, 2007 00:00 - 54.3 MB VideoThe beautiful Carina nebula, stretching 200 light years across space, has been shredded by ultraviolet radiation and winds from a behemoth of a star.
Special: M51 & Gizmo
June 28, 2007 00:00 - 92.7 MB VideoWhat makes the Earth livable? In this animated cartoon, innocent alien M51 moves the Earth into a closer orbit around the sun, and learns an important lesson about life in the Universe.
Galactic Center (Gallery Explorer)
May 30, 2007 00:00 - 72.2 MB VideoThe fantastic structures at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, hidden from us in visible light, are revealed through infrared imagery.
Andromeda, Beauty and the Beast (Showcase)
May 14, 2007 00:00 - 178 MB VideoIn Greek Mythology, the Princess Andromeda was sacrificed to appease a sea monster's appetite. But astronomers are learning that the Andromeda Galaxy is less the spiral beauty and more the voracious beast.
Large Magellanic Cloud (Gallery Explorer)
May 02, 2007 00:00 - 10.5 MB VideoThe Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that orbits the Milky Way, is revealed in exquisite detail in this video from the Spitzer Space Telescope.
Gallery Explorer: Large Magellanic Cloud (HD)
May 02, 2007 00:00 - 67.9 MB VideoThe Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that orbits the Milky Way, is revealed in exquisite detail in this video from the Spitzer Space Telescope.
Pillars of Destruction
January 30, 2007 00:00 - 29.1 MB VideoThey're known as the Pillars of Creation, but according to recent Spitzer observations these ghostly apparitions have already met their own destruction!
Seeing the First Light
December 18, 2006 00:00 - 32.3 MB VideoAstronomers peering deeply into the cosmos think they have found something remarkable... the light from the first objects to form after the universe was born!
Night and Day on an Alien World
October 12, 2006 00:00 - 27.5 MB VideoIt's as clear as day and night... but on an exotic alien world! Astronomers have for the first time measured the temperatures varying across the surface of a planet beyond our solar system.
A Stellar Census of the Sword of Orion
August 14, 2006 00:00 - 29.4 MB VideoNew images of the Orion Nebula show thousands of nascent solar systems.