NASA has officially launched its newest space observatory, Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx), to map the universe in unprecedented detail. After a six-week calibration period, SPHEREx began its two-year mission on Monday.
The space observatory is designed to create an ultra-detailed full-sky map of the universe by observing the entire celestial sphere every six months. It takes 3,600 infrared images per day, capturing light at wavelengths that are invisible to humans, providing evidence of cosmic objects and events dating back to the dawn of the universe.
Unlike traditional telescopes, SPHEREx will sweep the sky once every six months, scanning a new strip of the Milky Way and beyond with each orbit. The mission uses six detectors to split light into 102 infrared colors, making over 9 million observations of interstellar clouds in our galaxy.
Scientists aim to answer massive questions about the universe’s expansion and evolution by analyzing the positions of galaxies across the sky. They also hope to shed light on how essential ingredients for life spread throughout the universe using a technique called spectroscopy.
SPHEREx will be the first mission to map the sky in so many colors, creating four all-sky maps that could help researchers understand the origins and evolution of the universe. The hundreds of thousands of images taken during the two-year mission will provide valuable insights into the universe’s earliest moments and the formation of life.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/nasas-spherex-telescope-just-switched-on-time-to-map-the-entire-universe-in-3d-2000597525