Summary:
- The Spitzer Space Telescope, launched in 2003, was a highly successful infrared space observatory that contributed significantly to our understanding of the universe.
- After over 16 years of operation, Spitzer was recently shut down due to the depletion of its onboard fuel supply, which was necessary to keep the telescope's instruments at the required low temperatures.
- Spitzer's observations helped scientists study the formation of stars and planets, the composition of exoplanets, and the structure of our own Milky Way galaxy, among other important discoveries.