Spitzer Space Telescope

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/spitzer-space-telescope

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Spitzer Space Telescope
2. What is the formerly known as?Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF)
3. How does Spitzer see heat in space?Spitzer uses special cameras and a spectrograph that can detect infrared light, the kind of heat that stars, planets, and dust emit, and it stays very cold so it can see that faint heat without being confused by its own warmth.
4. Why did Spitzer have to be very cold?Keeping the telescope extremely cold, close to 0 Kelvin, reduces its own heat so the infrared detectors can pick up the weak heat signals from distant objects, making the observations clearer.

Heliocentric Orbit: An orbit where a celestial body revolves around the Sun.
Electromagnetic Spectrum: The full range of electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.
Spectroscopy: The study of how matter interacts with light, used to determine the composition and properties of objects.
Protoplanetary Disk: A rotating disk of dense gas and dust surrounding a newly formed star, from which planets may eventually form.