The next-generation space telescope SPHEREx, in which South Korea participated in the development, has officially started its observations since 1st.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the 7th, SPHEREx began its scientific observation work on May 1st, following six weeks of various checks and correction work after its launch on March 11th. SPHEREx is expected to provide clues about the origin of the universe, galaxy formation, and the distribution of life-related materials within the Milky Way by taking about 3,600 images daily over the next two years.
SPHEREx operates differently from typical space telescopes. While existing space telescopes capture 2D images, SPHEREx gathers 3D information. An image captured by SPHEREx consists of a collection of six detectors that create images in different wavelength bands. These six images are combined to produce one exposure, and SPHEREx is expected to perform about 600 exposures each day.
The mission of SPHEREx is to digitally stitch together the millions of images it obtains to create a 3D all-sky map of the universe. The maps will be created every six months, resulting in a total of four maps. Jim Pearson, a project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, noted, "With the maps created this way, we will be able to observe events that occurred in the early universe on a very small scale."
The SPHEREx mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and scientific data analysis is handled by an analysis team composed of scientists from the United States, South Korea, and Taiwan.