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Nasa's new infra-red telescope - newly renamed the Spitzer Telescope - can see through clouds of dust that visible light can't penetrate

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This allows it to photograph so-called star nurseries where stars have just been born...

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In this stellar birthsite stars are being formed out of vast clouds of gas and dust.

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The Spitzer Telescope has also observed shrouds of dust surrounding comets.

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Hot, young, so-called Protostars shine brightly next to the clouds that gave them birth.

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Spitzer has also observed discs of dust around nearby stars that may also contain planets.

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The majestic spiral galaxy M81 is one of Spitzer's best images so far.