Talk about a big year. 2011 turned out to be a banner year for NASA's Kepler mission, with the promise of even more exciting results to come in 2012. PlanetQuest reviews some of Kepler's 2011 highlights.
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Two extremely bright stars illuminate a greenish mist in this and other images from the new "GLIMPSE360" survey from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Galaxy Evolution Explorer
Uses ultraviolet wavelengths to measure the history of star formation 80 percent of the way back to the Big Bang.
› Mission home page
Keck Interferometer
Links two 10-meter (33-foot) telescopes, which form the world's most powerful optical telescope system.
› Telescope home page
Kepler Mission
The Kepler Mission will search for Earth-like planets with the "transit" method.
› Kepler home page
Palomar Observatory
A joint effort between JPL and the California Institute of Technology, the Palomar Observatory houses a collection of famous telescopes.
› Palomar home page
Spitzer Space Telescope
Uses infrared technology to study celestial objects that are too cool, too dust-enshrouded or too far away to otherwise be seen.
› Mission home page
Voyager to the Outer Planets
Voyager 1 and 2 flew past Jupiter and Saturn. Voyager 2 also flew by Uranus and Neptune. Voyager 1 is now approaching interstellar space.
› Mission home page
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)
WISE is mapping the entire sky in infrared light, uncovering the coolest stars, the universe's most luminous galaxies and some of the darkest near-Earth asteroids and comets.
› Mission home page
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NASA to Hold News Conference About NuSTAR Launch
NASA will hold a news conference on Wednesday, May 30 at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT) to discuss the upcoming launch of the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR).
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NASA's NuSTAR Gearing up for Launch
Engineers are installing the "nose cone" around NASA's NuSTAR, a black hole hunter. The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 13.
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NASA's Kepler Detects Potential Evaporating Planet
A planet with a tail? NASA's Kepler mission has found evidence for what may be a disintegrating planet.
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Super Earth Reveals Itself to Spitzer
This artist's animation depicts 55 Cancri e as it orbits its star. |
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Black-Hole Hunter
NASA's NuSTAR will use its X-ray eyes to scout for hidden black holes in the universe. |
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NuSTAR in Space
NASA's newest X-ray telescope will have a lengthy structure that unfolds in space, allowing it to see high-energy objects like feeding black holes. |
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