Audio Podcasts

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Spitzer's Fifth Anniversary Aug 25, 2008

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NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope continues to surprise astronomers. On its fifth anniversary, we recap some of this Great Observatory's biggest discoveries.

Brightest Star in the Galaxy has New Competition Jul 15, 2008

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A contender for the title of brightest star in our Milky Way galaxy has been unearthed in the dusty metropolis of the galaxy's center.

Missing Spiral Arms Jun 13, 2008

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As a result of a new Spitzer Space Telescope study, two of our own Milky Way Galaxy's spiral arms have gone away.

Holes on Mars May 23, 2008

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Spitzer isn't the only infrared mission. Infrared images from another of NASA's robotic missions help us understand mysterious features on the surface of Mars.

Diamondoids in Space Mar 24, 2008

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Diamonds may be rare on Earth, but surprisingly common in space -- and new research shows that the infrared eyes of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope are perfect for finding them.

Common Earths Feb 25, 2008

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Terrestrial planets might form around many, if not most, of the nearby sun-like stars in our galaxy. These new results suggest that worlds with potential for life might be more common than we thought.

Cosmic Suburbia Feb 04, 2008

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Young city dwellers on Earth aren't the only ones rushing to suburbia to start families. New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that galaxies also prefer to breed stars in the cosmic suburbs.

Uncommon Moons Dec 19, 2007

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New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that moons like Earth's -- that formed out of tremendous collisions -- are uncommon in the universe, arising at most in only 5 to 10 percent of planetary systems.

Galactic Thief Caught Stealing Gas Oct 22, 2007

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A big galaxy, spotted stealing gas from a passing galaxy about half its size, was caught red-handed by the Spitzer Space Telescope.

Dust in the Wind of Black Holes Oct 09, 2007

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The dust that makes everything around us -- and even ourselves -- may have come from black holes.