NASA has launched its latest space telescope, SPHEREx, which has taken its first images from space. The observatory, designed to study the universe’s origins, will map hundreds of millions of galaxies across the sky over the next two years.
SPHEREx is equipped with six detectors that capture data from 100,000 light sources in a single exposure. Its unique design allows it to scan the entire sky four times during its mission, providing unprecedented coverage. The telescope uses infrared wavelengths invisible to humans and applies visible colors to create a rainbow-like view of the cosmos.
The first images show the telescope’s focus is working as intended, detecting faint objects in the far-infrared spectrum. Once routine science operations begin later this month, SPHEREx will take around 600 exposures per day, gathering data on the universe’s water ice distribution, large-scale structure, galaxy evolution, and cosmic conditions after the Big Bang.
SPHEREx is a collaboration between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech, supported by institutions in the US, South Korea, and Taiwan. The telescope will work with narrow-field missions like JWST to create an ultra-high-resolution mosaic of the universe.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/04/nasas-spherex-captures-stunning-images