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Spitzer Telescope

All articles tagged with #spitzer telescope

space2 years ago•2 min saved

Interstellar Space Contains Essential Amino Acid for Humans

Astronomers have discovered the amino acid tryptophan, one of the 20 essential for humans, in the Perseus Molecular Complex, a star-forming region 1,000 light-years from Earth. The discovery was made using data from the now-retired Spitzer telescope, which observed the IC348 region where about 400 stars have formed. The findings suggest that the building blocks of proteins are widely present in the gas from which stars and planets form, and may play a role in the chemistry of planetary systems.

via IFLScience|

#amino-acids #interstellar-space #space

astronomy2 years ago•2 min saved

Backyard Telescope Captures Close Supernova Explosion.

Astronomers have confirmed a possible supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy, also known as Messier 101, making it the closest supernova in nine years and the closest giant exploding star in almost two decades. The progenitor star appears to have been identified in archival images from the Spitzer telescope, showing fluctuations in its infrared brightness over the last twenty years. Astrophotographers are already capturing images of the supernova, which is currently 14th magnitude and visible through a medium-sized home telescope under dark skies. The Pinwheel has 2-10 times as many stars as our own galaxy and is much more active in forming new ones.

via IFLScience|

#astronomy #astrophotography #liverpool-telescope