On Tuesday, NASA launched the SPHEREx mission, aiming to study the universe’s formation and evolution by mapping the celestial sky and observing hundreds of millions of galaxies. The launch had been delayed multiple times but finally occurred at 8:10 p.m. PT atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The $488 million observatory will survey the sky four times over its two-year mission, observing in 102 different colors in the infrared range, providing valuable data on the composition, density, temperature, and chemical makeup of celestial objects.
Infrared light, which is invisible to humans, carries essential information about stars and galaxies, aiding scientists in understanding their characteristics. The SPHEREx observatory will use spectroscopy to analyze infrared light, giving researchers insight into the chemistry and properties of millions of galaxies. NASA believes this data will help in studying galaxy formation, tracing the origin of water in the Milky Way, and unraveling mysteries about the aftermath of the Big Bang that created the universe billions of years ago.
The SPHEREx mission is crucial in helping scientists understand what occurred in the earliest moments after the Big Bang and could provide significant breakthroughs in our knowledge of the universe’s history. By surveying the sky in unprecedented detail, this observatory will contribute valuable data to the field of astronomy and cosmology.
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