NASA's SPHEREx space telescope begins mapping entire sky

NASA’s SPHEREx mission is observing the entire sky in 102 infrared colors, or wavelengths of light not visible to the human eye. This image shows a section of sky in one wavelength (3.29microns), revealing a cloud of dust made of a molecule similar to soot or smoke. /NASA

NASA announced Thursday that its SPHEREx space observatory has officially begun science operations, marking a major step toward uncovering new insights into the origins of the universe, the evolution of galaxies, and the building blocks of life in the Milky Way.

SPHEREx will take approximately 3,600 images per day over the next two years as it systematically surveys the entire sky.

Launched on March 11, SPHEREx has spent the last six weeks undergoing checkouts, calibrations, and other activities to ensure it is working as it should, according to NASA.

With science operations now underway, SPHEREx will chart the positions of hundreds of millions of galaxies in three dimensions. Its goal is to address some of the most profound questions in cosmology, such as how the universe began and how its large-scale structure evolved.

“This new observatory is adding to the suite of space-based astrophysics survey missions leading up to the launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Together with these other missions, SPHEREx will play a key role in answering the big questions about the universe we tackle at NASA every day,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

The observatory will complete more than 11,000 orbits over its 25 months of planned survey operations, circling Earth about 14-and-a-half times a day, according to NASA.