NASA's SPHEREx telescope launched to study universe's origins

NASA launched a new space telescope called SPHEREx on March 11. This telescope is designed to help scientists investigate the beginnings of the universe. It will specifically focus on what occurred in the first trillionth of a second after the Big Bang. SPHEREx stands for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer. The mission aims to create the largest 3D map of galaxies ever. With this map, researchers hope to understand galaxy formation and the distribution of water, a crucial component for life, in the Milky Way. The telescope will collect data on over 450 million galaxies and more than 100 million stars within the Milky Way over two years. It will investigate three key areas: searching for water ice in our galaxy, studying the origins of galaxies, and examining the universe's early history. Researchers from the Arizona Cosmology Lab have a special interest in the inflationary epoch. This was a brief period when the universe expanded rapidly. Tiny fluctuations from that time helped create the galaxies we see today. SPHEREx's infrared capabilities will assist scientists in measuring these galaxies and the presence of dark matter, which influences galaxy formation. Tim Eifler, an astronomy professor at the University of Arizona, explained that galaxies can indicate where dark matter is located. More galaxies typically mean more dark matter due to gravitational forces. SPHEREx will make multiple observations of the entire sky throughout its mission. Elisabeth Krause, another astronomy professor, expressed hope that the project will reveal the early universe's imprints and create a comprehensive galaxy map. The Arizona Cosmology Lab is using advanced mathematics and machine learning to analyze the data collected by SPHEREx. This innovative approach aims to speed up data processing and improve the accuracy of cosmological models. Once SPHEREx is operational in orbit, the research team will begin to analyze the extensive data catalog. This work will help reveal details about the universe's beginnings.