The telescope’s final data release, unveiled on November 14, delivered over 26 million images and nearly 200 billion sources.
When NASA’s NEOWISE telescope concluded its mission on November 1, 2024, it marked the end of an era, but not the end of its contributions to astronomy. Managed by the science center IPAC at Caltech, the telescope’s final data release, unveiled on November 14, delivered over 26 million images and nearly 200 billion sources. And now, six stunning new images from its archival data have been released, showcasing the telescope’s groundbreaking legacy.
A Decade of Discovery: From WISE to NEOWISE
Originally launched in 2009 as the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), the mission was reborn in 2013 as NEOWISE, focusing on detecting and analyzing near-Earth objects (NEOs) like asteroids and comets. Over 15 years of operation, NEOWISE conducted 21 full sky surveys, revisiting most areas of the night sky at least 220 times. This repeated observation has been pivotal in understanding celestial objects that change in brightness or location.
“NEOWISE has allowed us to explore the sky in unprecedented detail, enabling discoveries that range from nearby asteroids to distant quasars,” said Joe Masiero, Deputy Principal Investigator at IPAC.
Revolutionizing Infrared Astronomy
Beyond its focus on NEOs, NEOWISE’s infrared data has become an indispensable resource across various fields of astronomy. It has helped researchers uncover patterns in comet behavior, study mysterious brown dwarfs, and more. In fact, the mission has characterized over 3,000 NEOs, comprising about 10% of the known population—a feat made possible by its longevity and comprehensive sky coverage.
The telescope’s final observation, asteroid 2007 LV8, was captured more than 100 times during its closing days. This remarkable dataset continues to shed light on asteroid sizes, rotation periods, and trajectories, painting a more complete picture of our solar neighborhood.
Hidden Gems in NEOWISE’s Data Archive
In its quest to map the entire sky, NEOWISE provided a treasure trove of images and data, some of which remained underexplored—until now. Using archival data, IPAC scientists identified previously overlooked regions teeming with cosmic dust, where new stars are born. Among the newly released images, the California Nebula holds special significance. Resembling the outline of California, this nebula, located 1,000 light-years away in the Perseus constellation, embodies years of dedication by the IPAC team.
“This image is a tribute to the hard work of everyone who made this mission possible,” said Masiero. “It’s also a stunning reminder of the beauty that lies within our galaxy.”
A Data Legacy for Generations
As astronomers develop more sophisticated tools and techniques, NEOWISE’s archive will remain a cornerstone for research. “There’s so much more waiting to be discovered in this data,” Masiero emphasized. The archive, housed at NASA’s Infrared Science Archive (IRSA), has already inspired new projects like COSINE, which catalogs comets and investigates their evolution.
Charting the Future of Comet Research
Led by Masiero and IPAC scientist Yuna Kwon, COSINE is the most extensive database of comets ever assembled, using NEOWISE data to unveil patterns previously obscured by limited observations. For Kwon, the journey has been transformative: “Comets are like cats—they have tails and do exactly what they want,” she said. “Thanks to NEOWISE, we can now analyze these enigmatic objects on a scale never before possible.”
Kwon’s work connects comet behavior to the broader story of solar system formation, offering fresh insights into the conditions that shaped our cosmic neighborhood billions of years ago. Looking ahead, she plans to integrate NEOWISE data with findings from future observatories like SPHEREx and the NEO Surveyor.
And although its mission has officially ended, NEOWISE’s legacy is far from over. Its vast archive continues to fuel groundbreaking research, offering astronomers an unparalleled view of the universe.
