SPHEREx Mission Latest News
NASA’s SPHEREx mission turned its infrared gaze on interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS recently, adding to the deep pool of information the agency has gathered on what is only the third such object to be discovered passing through our solar system.
About SPHEREx Mission
- It is a NASA Astrophysics mission launched on March 11, 2025.
- The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) telescope is a megaphone-shaped telescope.
- It will provide an all-sky spectral survey.Â
- It will survey the sky in optical as well as near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions.
- Over a two-year planned mission, the SPHEREx Observatory will collect data on more than 450 million galaxies along with more than 100 million stars in the Milky Way in order to explore the origins of the universe.
- With this capability, SPHEREx will produce a three-dimensional map of the universe unlike any other.Â
- Scientists will use this map to answer big questions about the early universe, the history of galaxies, and the prevalence of life-sustaining molecules in planet-forming regions of space.
- It also will identify targets for more detailed study by future missions, such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope.
Source: SCN
SPHEREx Mission FAQs
Q1: What is the SPHEREx Mission?
Ans: SPHEREx is a NASA Astrophysics mission.
Q2: When was the SPHEREx Mission launched?
Ans: It was launched on March 11, 2025.
Q3: What kind of survey will SPHEREx conduct?
Ans: It will provide an all-sky spectral survey.
Q4: How long is the planned mission duration of SPHEREx?
Ans: The planned mission duration is two years.
Q5: What major cosmic questions will scientists address using the SPHEREx map?
Ans: Questions about the early universe, galaxy history, and life-sustaining molecules in planet-forming regions.
