M65 and M66

In close proximity bright spiral galaxies M65 and M66 are highlighted in this attractive cosmic image. The pair is about 35 million light years and measured, each, about 100,000 light-years .

Both display prominent dust lanes that spiral arms sweep. M66 has a particularly striking contrast of red and blue colors, the red light shows the regions of hydrogen gas to form stars and star clusters.

M65 and M66 are two of the three galaxies known as the Leo Triplet , where the gravitational effect of the tide including how matter warps, evidence of how close they are.

M66 has been home to four brilliant supernovae since 1973 .

A cosmic collision might fade away the water

A cosmic impact might have been the cause of a temporary warming of Mars and, therefore, the disappearance of water on its surface, according to a study published in international 'Astrobiology Magazine. Experts have said that this discovery could help explain how a planet so cold and dry ever could contain liquid water and potentially favorable conditions for life.

The Universe

Galactic survey

At the beginning of the mission, Spitzer will hold a series of imaging surveys in the mid and far infrared. Census Deep and a small region of space, including one centered on the Hubble Deep Field (English) , study the young and distant universe with redshifts of about 5, which corresponds to about 12 billion years.

Infrared Astronomy

The technical approaching of Spitzer is attached in four basic physical values that define the importance of IR in the investigation of astrophysical phenomena. The infrared region is part of the electromagnetic spectrum and ranges from 1 micron (near infrared) to 200 microns (far infrared). Human eyes are only sensitive to light between 0.4 and 0.7 microns.

Infrared observations expose cool state of matter.

Solid objects in space - from the size of a grain of interstellar dust (less than a micron) to the giant planets - have temperatures ranging from 3 to 1500 degrees Kelvin (K).