Colloquium

The Spitzer Space Telescope, launched in August 2003, has dramatically advanced the state of the art for infrared space observatories. Spitzer's three instruments, equipped with modern detector arrays for both imaging and spectroscopy, are returning stunning images and fascinating spectra of objects far too faint to have been seen in the infrared up until now. The large data bases produced by Spitzer have provided important new insights on questions ranging from the edge of the observable Universe to our local neighborhood within the Milky Way, while clever observers have used Spitzer to make pioneering studies of extrasolar planets. This talk will review the technical foundations of the mission, provide an overview of the rich scientific return from Spitzer, and look forward to the warm Spitzer mission which will commence in 2009 when the liquid helium supply is exhausted.