'1 trillion-trillionfold expansion': NASA's SPHEREx reveals Big Bang’s explosive secrets
Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Cosmic Origins
NASA’s SPHEREx observatory is set to uncover secrets of the Big Bang, exploring how space expanded a trillion-trillionfold in less than a second after the universe's inception.
Credit : NASA
Universal Glow
SPHEREx will map the entire sky in 3D, capturing the collective light of millions of galaxies, including hidden ones, offering an unprecedented view of the universe’s luminous history.
Credit : NASA
Galactic Palette
The observatory will create a vivid map with 102 distinct colors, each wavelength revealing unique details about stars, galaxies, and the cosmic forces that shaped them.
Credit : NASA
Icy Clues
Scientists will search the Milky Way for icy granules of water, carbon dioxide, and other building blocks of life, helping to understand how these compounds contribute to planet formation.
Inflation Insights
The mission aims to analyze galaxy distributions to decipher the physics behind cosmic inflation, revealing what fueled the universe’s rapid expansion moments after the Big Bang.
PUNCH Mission
Launching alongside SPHEREx, NASA’s PUNCH mission will focus on the Sun, using four satellites to study the corona and how solar wind carries mass and energy across space.
Precision Orbit
SPHEREx, about the size of a subcompact car, will enter a polar orbit, scanning the sky like a globe to deliver comprehensive data on hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies.
Tech Marvel
Photographed at BAE Systems, SPHEREx's unique design features cones to deflect heat and light, ensuring the telescope’s sensitivity remains unaffected by environmental interference.
Launch Countdown
Scheduled for February 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, SPHEREx and PUNCH mark a pivotal step in astrophysics, expanding humanity's understanding of the universe and its ingredients.