NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope, launched in March, has successfully completed its first infrared map of the entire sky in 102 colors. This innovative telescope, although not visible to the human eye, captures infrared wavelengths of light crucial in understanding the cosmos. The data collected will aid scientists in answering fundamental questions about the universe’s origins, the evolution of galaxies over billions of years, and the distribution of essential life ingredients in our galaxy.
Operating in space and orbiting Earth approximately 14½ times a day, SPHEREx takes around 3,600 images daily along a circular strip of the sky. Over the course of six months, the telescope has observed the entire sky in all directions, creating a comprehensive 360-degree view of space. Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the mission began mapping the sky in May and completed its first all-sky mosaic in December. Additional scans are scheduled during the two-year primary mission to enhance the sensitivity of measurements and generate invaluable insights about the universe.
Original Source: NASA Source