April 12, 2019 8-10PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope: Revealing the Invisible
Lecturer: Marja Seidel
Position: Staff Scientist
Institution:IPAC
Abstract:
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, one of the four great NASA Observatories, observes the universe in the infrared. It essentially operates as an enormous pair of night-vision goggles, allowing it to perceive invisible "heat" radiation and pierce through dust clouds, something impossible for visible light. Because of its unique view of the sky, Spitzer has achieved major discoveries in almost every area of astrophysics. It has detected some of the oldest galaxies in our universe, discovered a new ring around Saturn, and observed the seven Earth-sized planets in the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanetary system. Now, after 16 years of continuous operation, well exceeding its planned 2.5-year primary mission duration, Spitzer is set to retire in the next year. Come discover the universe in the infrared and the remarkable legacy the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope has provided.