Spitzer Space Telescope Archives

[L] Close-up of a sample particle from asteroid Bennu. Credit NASA/Scott Eckley [R] The same particle analyzed with X-ray computed tomography scanning. This specimen shows the most common types of crack networks observed in Bennu samples. One has an extensive and connect framework of curved cracks, whereas the other has sparse, straight and flat fractures. Credit NASA/Scott Eckley

Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Sample Return

Asteroid Bennu’s Rugged Surface Baffled NASA. We Finally Know Why

by Keith CowingMarch 18, 2026March 18, 2026

In one of the biggest surprises of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, its target asteroid, Bennu, turned out to be a jagged, rugged world covered in large boulders, with few of the […]

Keck NIRC2-LGS images of the two events. North is up and East is to the left. The green and red boxes indicate the target and comparison stars, respectively. Insets show zoomed-in views of each star, including the original image and the residuals following PSF subtraction, which are shown on the identical flux scale to facilitate comparison. The gray dotted circles in the residual images show the predicted lens-source separation. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

KMT-2018-BLG-0029Lb and OGLE-2019-BLG-0960Lb: Mass Measurements for Two Super-Earth Microlensing Planets

by Keith CowingAugust 29, 2025August 29, 2025

KMT-2018-BLG-0029Lb and OGLE-2019-BLG-0960Lb were the lowest mass-ratio microlensing planets at the time of discovery. For both events, microlensing parallax measurements from the Spitzer Space Telescope implied lens systems that were […]

Time evolution (from left to right) of small grains around Makemake under the influence of solar radiation pressure. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Prominent Mid-infrared Excess Of The Dwarf Planet (136472) Makemake Discovered by JWST/MIRI Indicates Ongoing Activity

by Keith CowingOctober 31, 2024October 31, 2024

We report on the discovery of a very prominent mid-infrared (18-25 um) excess associated with the trans-Neptunian dwarf planet (136472) Makemake.

Three independent reductions of the NIRCam F322W2 and F444W data agree within their uncertainties The top panel shows the F322W2 and F444W transmission spectra, as reduced using the Pegasus, Eureka, and tshirt pipelines, plotted with their associated 1 σ uncertainties using constant 0.015µm-wide spectral bins. All of the F322W2 spectra have been offset down by 163 ppm to correct for a bias offset in the F322W2 transit depths compared to the F444W and Spitzer data (see Appendix B.3). All three reductions agree on the shape of the transmission spectrum and show features due to H2O (2.5–3.2µm), CH4 (3.2–3.5µm), SO2 (3.9–4.1µm), and CO2 (2.6–2.9µm and 4.2–4.5µm). The absorption cross sections of the prominent species in this wavelength range, many of which are visually identifiable in the bottom panel. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Sulfur Dioxide and Other Molecular Species in the Atmosphere of the Sub-Neptune GJ 3470 b

by Keith CowingJune 11, 2024June 11, 2024

We report observations of the atmospheric transmission spectrum of the sub-Neptune exoplanet GJ 3470 b taken using the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on JWST. Combined with two archival HST/WFC3 transit observations […]

Modeled mixtures of magnesium rich pyroxenes and olivines plotted alongside the spectrum of 267 Tirza and 1268 Libya. The addition of pyroxene to the olivine mixtures changes the behavior of the spectrum at long wavelengths, broadening this emission feature from the distinct emission peak(s) seen in the spectra of olivine and pyroxene alone. Spectral features of olivine are marked in light green and of pyroxenes are marked in dark purple to highlight commonalities with the asteroid spectra. The feature at 19.5 µm is common to both olivine and pyroxene. The spectrum of 267 Tirza in particular shows evidence of both olivine and pyroxene. All mixtures shown here contain both amorphous and crystalline silicates mixed in a 3:1 ratio, while the proportion of olivine and pyroxene is varied. The shaded grey box highlights the location of a known artefact in the SL Spitzer data (the SL teardrop). Spectra of crystalline silicates are sourced from Koike et al. (2003) and Chihara et al. (2002), spectra of amorphous silicates are derived from optical constants from J¨ager et al. (1994); Dorschner et al. (1995) and J¨ager et al. (2003) (see text for modeling details and silicate compositions). -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report

Comparative Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Dark, Primitive Asteroids: Does Shared Taxonomic Class Indicate Shared Silicate Composition?

by Keith CowingMay 1, 2024May 1, 2024

Primitive asteroids with low albedos and red slopes in the visible and near infrared (VNIR) are found in both the Main Belt and the Jupiter Trojan clouds.

This artist’s concept shows what the hot gas giant exoplanet WASP-43 b could look like. WASP-43 b is a Jupiter-sized planet that orbits a star roughly 280 light-years away, in the constellation Sextans. The planet orbits at a distance of about 0.014 AU (1.3 million miles), completing one circuit in about 19.5 hours. Because it is so close to its star, WASP-43 b is probably tidally locked: its rotation rate and orbital period are the same, such that one side faces the star at all times. -- ESA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release

Webb Maps Weather On Hot Gas-giant Exoplanet WASP-43b

by Keith CowingApril 30, 2024April 30, 2024

An international team of researchers has successfully used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to map the weather on the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b.

‘Oumuamua -- Illustration by Samuel Cabot

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Interstellar, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Press Release, Space Weather & Heliophysics

X-rays May Tell Us More About The Origins Of Visiting Space Rocks

by Keith CowingOctober 14, 2023October 14, 2023

A research team led by a Yale astronomer has some advice for our next close encounter with a wandering, interstellar object. Check its X-rays on the way out. Since 2017, […]

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Interstellar, Press Release

Key to Cosmic Carbon's Molecular Evolution

by Keith CowingMay 14, 2013September 19, 2025

Scientists at NASA’s Ames Research Center now have the capability to systematically investigate the molecular evolution of cosmic carbon. For the first time, these scientists are able to automatically interpret […]

Spitzer Space Telescope

Asteroid Bennu’s Rugged Surface Baffled NASA. We Finally Know Why

KMT-2018-BLG-0029Lb and OGLE-2019-BLG-0960Lb: Mass Measurements for Two Super-Earth Microlensing Planets

Prominent Mid-infrared Excess Of The Dwarf Planet (136472) Makemake Discovered by JWST/MIRI Indicates Ongoing Activity

Sulfur Dioxide and Other Molecular Species in the Atmosphere of the Sub-Neptune GJ 3470 b

Comparative Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Dark, Primitive Asteroids: Does Shared Taxonomic Class Indicate Shared Silicate Composition?

Webb Maps Weather On Hot Gas-giant Exoplanet WASP-43b

X-rays May Tell Us More About The Origins Of Visiting Space Rocks

Key to Cosmic Carbon's Molecular Evolution

Dinosaur-killing Asteroid Also Created A Dust Cloud That Insulated Earth, Charbroiling Cretaceous Creatures

Current Water Trapping Micro-habitats On The Surface Of Mars

Methanotrophy Under Extreme Alkalinity In A Serpentinizing System

ANDES, The High-resolution Spectrograph Oof The ELT: Simulated Performance Of The CORO Module And Overview Of The High-contrast Capabilities For Exoplanet Observations

When Polymers Meet Primitive Membranes: How Molecular Cooperation May Have Helped Life Begin