WISE/NEOWISE Stories

A collage of space-themed citizen science project logos, including 'Milky Way Project,' 'Exoplanet Explorers,' 'Cool Neighbors,' 'Disk Detective,' and 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9.

NASA’s NEOWISE Spacecraft Re-Enters Atmosphere, But More Discoveries Await!

2 min read

NASA’s NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) spacecraft re-entered and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere on Friday night, as expected. Launched in 2009 as the WISE mission, the spacecraft has been mapping the entire sky at infrared wavelengths over…

Article3 days ago
This artist's concept shows a hypothetical white dwarf, left, that has exploded as a supernova, represented as a large fluffy circular mass. At right is a much smaller red circle, representing the fast-moving object CWISE J1249.

NASA Citizen Scientists Spot Object Moving 1 Million Miles Per Hour

4 min read

Most familiar stars peacefully orbit the center of the Milky Way. But citizen scientists working on NASA’s Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project have helped discover an object moving so fast that it will escape the Milky Way’s gravity and shoot into intergalactic…

Article3 months ago

NASA’s NEOWISE Infrared Heritage Will Live On

5 min read

NASA’s near-Earth-object-hunting mission NEOWISE is nearing its conclusion. But its work will carry on with NASA’s next-generation infrared mission: NEO Surveyor. After more than 14 successful years in space, NASA’s NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission will end…

Article4 months ago
Background: A black landscape with small stars. Left: A small Jupiter-like orb. Right: A larger reddish orb passes in front of a star.

A Solar Neighborhood Census, Thanks to NASA Citizen Science

4 min read

To take a census of nearby cosmic objects, sending out a survey won’t work. Scientists need to use many telescopes with different specializations to chart what is in the general neighborhood of the Sun. Looking to understand more about our…

Article7 months ago

NASA’s NEOWISE Extends Legacy With Decade of Near-Earth Object Data

6 min read

As the infrared space telescope continues its long-duration survey of the universe, it is creating a unique resource for future astronomers to make new discoveries. NASA’s NEOWISE mission has released its 10th year of infrared data – the latest in…

Article7 months ago

NASA’s NEOWISE Celebrates 10 Years, Plans End of Mission

6 min read

The asteroid and comet-hunting infrared space telescope has gathered an impressive haul of observations, but it’s now at the mercy of the Sun, which is accelerating its demise. NASA’s NEOWISE has had a busy decade. Since its reactivated mission began…

Article11 months ago

Data From NASA’s WISE Used to Preview Lucy Mission’s Asteroid Dinkinesh

4 min read

Researchers have utilized infrared survey data to refine the asteroid’s size and surface brightness in support of the Nov. 1 encounter by NASA’s Lucy mission. NASA’s Lucy mission will soon have its first asteroid encounter as the spacecraft travels through…

Article1 year ago

Caught in the Act: Astronomers Detect a Star Devouring a Planet

6 min read

A star nearing the end of its life swelled up and absorbed a Jupiter-size planet. In about 5 billion years, our Sun will go through a similar end-of-life transition.

Article2 years ago

Construction Begins on NASA’s Next-Generation Asteroid Hunter

5 min read

NEO Surveyor is the first purpose-built space telescope that will advance NASA’s planetary defense efforts by finding and tracking hazardous near-Earth objects. A space telescope designed to search for the hardest-to-find asteroids and comets that stray into Earth’s orbital neighborhood,…

Article2 years ago

NASA Telescope Takes 12-Year Time-Lapse Movie of Entire Sky

6 min read

Pictures of the sky can show us cosmic wonders; movies can bring them to life. Movies from NASA’s NEOWISE space telescope are revealing motion and change across the sky. Every six months, NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer,…

Article2 years ago