Cygnus Region (DR22; NGC 4145 and NGC 4361)

These images are some of the first to be taken during Spitzer's warm mission -- a new phase that began after the telescope, which operated for more than five-and-a-half years, ran out of liquid coolant. The pictures were snapped with the two InfraRed Channels that still work at Spitzer's still-quite-chilly temperature of 30 Kelvin (about - 406 degrees Fahrenheit). The two InfraRed Channels are part of Spitzer's InfraRed Array Camera: 3.6-micron light is blue and 4.5-micron light is orange.
The main image shows a cloud, known as DR22, bursting with new stars in the Cygnus Region of the sky.
Spitzer's infrared eyes can see dust, and see through dust, giving it a unique view into star-forming nests. The blue areas are dusty clouds, and the orange is mainly hot gas.