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Open AccessJournal ArticleDOI

The Spitzer Space Telescope mission

TLDR
The Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA's great Observatory for infrared astronomy, was launched 2003 August 25 and is returning excellent scientific data from its Earth-trailing solar orbit as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract
The Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA's Great Observatory for infrared astronomy, was launched 2003 August 25 and is returning excellent scientific data from its Earth-trailing solar orbit. Spitzer combines the intrinsic sensitivity achievable with a cryogenic telescope in space with the great imaging and spectroscopic power of modern detector arrays to provide the user community with huge gains in capability for exploration of the cosmos in the infrared. The observatory systems are largely performing as expected, and the projected cryogenic lifetime is in excess of 5 years. This paper summarizes the on-orbit scientific, technical, and operational performance of Spitzer. Subsequent papers in this special issue describe the Spitzer instruments in detail and highlight many of the exciting scientific results obtained during the first 6 months of the Spitzer mission.

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The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) for the Spitzer Space Telescope

TL;DR: The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) is one of the three focal plane instruments in the Spitzer Space Telescope as discussed by the authors, which is a four-channel camera that obtains simultaneous broadband images at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 microns.
Journal ArticleDOI

The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) for the Spitzer Space Telescope

TL;DR: The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) is one of three focal plane instruments on the Spitzer Space Telescope as mentioned in this paper, which is a four-channel camera that obtains simultaneous broadband images at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 m.
Journal ArticleDOI

Star Formation in the Milky Way and Nearby Galaxies

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review progress over the past decade in observations of large-scale star formation, with a focus on the interface between extragalactic and Galactic studies.
Journal ArticleDOI

Infrared Emission from Interstellar Dust. IV. The Silicate-Graphite-PAH Model in the Post-Spitzer Era

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors calculated IR emission spectra for dust heated by starlight, for mixtures of amorphous silicate and graphitic grains, including varying amounts of PAH particles.
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Journal ArticleDOI

The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) for the Spitzer Space Telescope

TL;DR: The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) is one of the three focal plane instruments in the Spitzer Space Telescope as discussed by the authors, which is a four-channel camera that obtains simultaneous broadband images at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 microns.
Journal ArticleDOI

The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) for the Spitzer Space Telescope

TL;DR: The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) is one of three focal plane instruments on the Spitzer Space Telescope as mentioned in this paper, which is a four-channel camera that obtains simultaneous broadband images at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 m.

Proc of SPIE

B Krauskopf, +1 more
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