Explore the legacy of the Spitzer Space Telescope and how it sets the stage for the future

This Exploring Space lecture will be presented online. Tune in on YouTube here on July 7 at 8 pm ET. Sign up to get a reminder.

The Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA’s Great Observatory for infrared exploration of the heavens, was retired in January 2020 after a highly successful 16-year career as the premier facility for infrared astronomy from space. Spitzer has studied objects ranging from Near Earth Asteroids to the most distant known galaxies and, more recently, has made major contributions to our understanding of exoplanets – planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. 

Join Michael Werner, the Spitzer Project Scientist for over 30 years, for a discussion of Spitzer’s technical innovations and the scientific advances they enabled. He will share examples of the remarkable images and informative spectra returned by Spitzer and will discuss how Spitzer is setting the stage for future NASA observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope. Throughout, he will emphasize that projects like Spitzer serve as exemplars of the very best that humanity is capable of.

About the Exploring Space Lecture Series

Many Eyes on the Universe

One hundred years ago, astronomers using optical telescopes questioned whether the universe was composed of stars, or of systems of stars called “galaxies.” Since then, this “Great Debate” has shifted to more and more precise questions. The 2020 Exploring Space Lecture Series will feature discussions on some of these questions as we explore the mysteries of the Sun, new information on black holes, and the roles that the Spitzer and Event Horizon telescopes have played in shaping the parameters of this constantly-evolving debate.

The Exploring Space Lecture Series is made possible by the generous support of Aerojet Rocketdyne and United Launch Alliance.