Tag: Spitzer Space Telescope
Death Throes
by CritterKeeper on Sep.07, 2010, under Eyes in the Sky
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Comet collisions may be kicking up dust in the Helix Nebula in this image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope.
Cold’s Greenish Glow
by CritterKeeper on Sep.01, 2010, under Eyes in the Sky
Credit: NASA, ESA and Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri (Observatoire de Paris, France)
Cold doesn’t actually have a color; well, maybe blue lips in the wintertime. To help us see new stars being born deep within the thick dust of nebulae, astronomers use special telescopes to see the star’s glow.
Galactic Antennae
by CritterKeeper on Aug.05, 2010, under Bugs, birds and other animals
Credit: NASA, ESA, SAO, CXC, JPL-Caltech, and STScI
Staring at the stars doesn’t get much better than this. Explore this beautiful image of the Antennae galaxies by NASA’s Great Observatories.
Rainbow Mist
by CritterKeeper on May.04, 2010, under General
Credit: NASA & ESA
Using different wavelengths of light, scientists more easily explore the nearby starburst galaxy M82. Scientists combined light from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope for this view and have found evidence for two black holes at the center of this active galaxy.
Galactic Gator
by CritterKeeper on Feb.18, 2010, under Bugs, birds and other animals
Credit: NASA, ESA, S. Gallagher (The University of Western Ontario), and J. English (University of Manitoba)
A galactic gator looms in this image of the interacting galaxies of the Hickson Compact Group 31. Four dwarf galaxies are in the process of colliding, lighting up the sky as new stars come to life.
Valentine Rose
by CritterKeeper on Feb.12, 2010, under Plants/Flowers
Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA
Bright, young stars form a rosebud-shaped nebula in this image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope known as NGC 7129. In this Valentine’s Day image, thousands of stars are being formed in this dense cloud of gas and dust. Most stars, including our Sun, are thought to have formed in such clouds. Spitzer’s infrared camera allows us to peer inside this cloud.
Small Galactic Caterpillar
by CritterKeeper on Jan.07, 2010, under Bugs, birds and other animals
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI
A long tail flows behind this galactic caterpillar. NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope takes a big view of the Small Magellanic Cloud.
Spinning Lights
by CritterKeeper on Dec.18, 2009, under Eyes in the Sky
Credit: NASA & ESA
We need some bright lights for the holidays. The colors in this image of the Cartwheel Galaxy fits perfectly.
Spacey Tree
by CritterKeeper on Dec.14, 2009, under Plants/Flowers
Credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech/P.S. Teixeira (Center for Astrophysics)
Whether you see a Christmas tree or snowflake, this nebula represents winter. Trace the dim triangular pattern of the tree in the wisps of green and yellow. Or follow the pattern of a snowflake in the center group of stars in this Spitzer Space Telescope image of the Christmas Tree Nebula.
The Witch Head
by CritterKeeper on Oct.30, 2009, under Eyes in the Sky
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/L.Rebull (SSC/Caltech)
This cosmic witch is brewing up baby stars. The Witch Head Nebula is a reflection nebula about 1,000 light-years from Earth. It reflects the light of the bright star Rigel in the constellation of Orion, the Hunter. The new stars show up as pink dots in this image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Spitzer explores the universe in infrared, showing scientists warm bodies in space, such as stars and even planets. Explore the image and find the pink stars. Why do you think they are bunched together?
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Welcome to Starry Critters!
Thanks for dropping by! This site combines incredible imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope and other great observatories with the imagination of children. Explore and share the patterns you see in the nebula, galaxies and star clusters.Note to Parents and Educators:
The main focus of the site are the images of space. We believe the explanations are best suited for parents, educators and upper grade students. Parents may find it helpful to view the site with their children and explore the universe together using the explanatory text as a guide. Background text is provided to let you know the real story behind the image. Links, very useful for parents and teachers, include definitions and will take you to other sites for even more detail.
Zoom in and out and pan around the images to find your own patterns in the stars. Be creative and think outside the box.Tell us your stories and let us know what you find! Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the RSS feed.
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