WISE space telescope reveals new stars, galaxies and asteroids

NASA has published thousands of images of new stars, galaxies and asteroids made by Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), on its web-site. The space telescope, launched on December 14, 2009, mapped the entire sky using infrared light, and completed the main part of its mission, on July 17, 2010.

The WISE space telescope captured over 1.8 million images and discovered more than 33,500 new asteroids, 19 comets and more than 120 near-earth objects.
Photo: A cosmic rosebud.

The 2010 AB78 asteroid (red spot in the center) was the first asteroid to be detected by the WISE space telescope.

Only half of the images to be published have been shown so far. All the images will be published by the spring of 2012.
Photo: The Rho Ophiuchi nebula.

The WISE space telescope data is believed to contain proof of the existence of the gas giant planet Tyche. The ninth hypothetical planet could be four times as large as Jupiter or at least just as large. Tyche is in the outer part of the Oort cloud approximately fifteen times farther from the Sun than the Earth.
Photo: A new red star, the head of Orion, was found in the center of the Orion constellation.

The space telescope, worth $320 million, was designed to operate for 10 months in a basic mode until its hydrogen coolant ran out. The coolant is necessary for the detectors.
Photo: The Zeta Ophiuchi star.

Two of the telescope’s four “eyes” went blind, but NASA decided to go on with the project and use the telescope to study asteroids and comets.

During its mission, the telescope recorded images of the Heart and Soul nebulae in the Cassiopeia constellation, located about 6,000 light-years from Earth. The Heart nebula is reminiscent of the human heart, and the adjacent nebula, while Soul, appears as more of a symbolic heart shape, hence the poetic name.

The space telescope photographed a cloud around a dying star in the Carina constellation. The cloud is reminiscent of a kiss and the famous Rosette nebula in the Monoceros constellation.

The NGC 6729 nebula. The image was captured by the WISE infrared space telescope.

Tycho Brahe’s supernova. The image was captured by the WISE infrared space telescope.

The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31, M31. The image was captured by the WISE infrared space telescope.

The Comet Siding Spring (C/2007 Q3). The image was captured by the WISE infrared space telescope.