Speaker 1: Welcome to Bedtime Astronomy. Explore the wonders of the cosmos
Speaker 1: with our soothing Bedtime Astronomy podcast. Each episode offers a
Speaker 1: gentle journey through the stars, planets, and beyond, perfect for
Speaker 1: unwinding after a long day. Let's travel through the mysteries
Speaker 1: of the universe as you drift off into a peaceful
Speaker 1: slumber under the night sky. SPHEREx mapping the universe in infrared,
Speaker 1: one spectrum at a time. The SPHEREx Spectrophotometer for the
Speaker 1: History of the Universe, Epic of Reionization, and ICE's Explorer
Speaker 1: mission is an ambitious NASA project designed to conduct an
Speaker 1: all sky spectral survey in the near infrared. This small
Speaker 1: astrophysics satellite aims to answer fundamental questions about the origins
Speaker 1: of the universe, the evolution of galaxies, and the role
Speaker 1: of water and organic molecules in the four maation of
Speaker 1: planetary systems. By capturing detailed infrared data, SPHEREx will provide
Speaker 1: a unique glimpse into both the distant past and the
Speaker 1: complex processes shaping planetary systems today. The mission is set
Speaker 1: to launch no earlier than February twenty seven, twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1: Riding aboard a SpaceX Falcon nine rocket from Vandenberg Space
Speaker 1: Force Base in California. Infrared astronomy has long been a
Speaker 1: crucial tool for exploring the universe beyond what visible light allows.
Speaker 1: Many celestial objects, including young stars, dusty galaxies, and the
Speaker 1: earliest structures in the universe, are best observed in infrared
Speaker 1: wavelengths due to their ability to penetrate cosmic dust and
Speaker 1: reveal otherwise hidden features. SPHEREx will expand upon the legacy
Speaker 1: of previous infrared missions like Spitzer, WYS, and IRAS, but
Speaker 1: will take it different approach by scanning the entire sky
Speaker 1: multiple times in over one hundred distinct infrared colors. This
Speaker 1: will create a detailed spectral map of the cosmos, providing
Speaker 1: data that will be invaluable for both cosmology and planetary science.
Speaker 1: One of the mission's core scientific goals is to investigate
Speaker 1: the large scale structure of the universe and its connection
Speaker 1: to inflation, the rapid expansion that occur a fraction of
Speaker 1: a second after the Big Bang. While inflation is a
Speaker 1: key component of modern cosmological models, direct observational evidence remains elusive.
Speaker 1: By measuring how galaxies are distributed across vast cosmic distances
Speaker 1: and analyzing subtle patterns in their clustering. SPHEREx will test
Speaker 1: inflationary models with unprecedented precision. The mission will look for
Speaker 1: imprints of quantum fluctuations that stretched across the universe during inflation,
Speaker 1: leaving behind faint signatures in a distribution of matter. These
Speaker 1: observations could provide direct insights into the physics of the
Speaker 1: very early universe, potentially answering questions about the fundamental nature
Speaker 1: of space time itself beyond its contributions to cosmology. SPHEREx
Speaker 1: will also serve as a powerful tool for galactic and
Speaker 1: extragalactic studies. By mapping the entire sky in near infrared light,
Speaker 1: it will create a vast catalog of stars, galaxies, and
Speaker 1: active galactic nuclei. This will allow astronomers to study the
Speaker 1: evolution of galaxies over cosmic time, particularly how they formed
Speaker 1: and assembled into the large scale structures we see today.
Speaker 1: Since the universe is expanding, light from distant galaxies is
Speaker 1: stretched into longer wavelengths, a phenomenon known as redshift. By
Speaker 1: analyzing this effect in detail across millions of galaxies, SPHEREx
Speaker 1: will create a three dimensional map of the cosmos, revealing
Speaker 1: how structures evolved over billions of years. The mission's third
Speaker 1: major goal is to investigate the distribution of water and
Speaker 1: organic molecules in the Milky Way and nearby planetary systems.
Speaker 1: Water ice plays a crucial role in the formation of
Speaker 1: planets and the delivery of life essential compounds. By detecting
Speaker 1: water and other volatiles in the interstellar medium, SPHEREx will
Speaker 1: provide critical insights into the early stages of planet formation
Speaker 1: and the potential for habitable environments beyond Earth. The mission
Speaker 1: will specifically target regions where stars and planets are actively forming,
Speaker 1: analyzing how water and organic molecules accumulate in protoplanetary discs.
Speaker 1: These observations will complement data from other missions like the
Speaker 1: James Web Space Tellelescope, which focuses on individual systems in
Speaker 1: high detail, while SPHEREx will provide a broad survey of
Speaker 1: these fundamental ingredients across the galaxy. Spherex's ability to scan
Speaker 1: the entire sky every six months will also make it
Speaker 1: a valuable resource for identifying transient and variable phenomena. Infrared
Speaker 1: observations are particularly useful for detecting objects like brown dwarfs,
Speaker 1: rogue planets, and distant supernovae. Additionally, the mission will support
Speaker 1: this study of near Earth objects neeos by identifying asteroids
Speaker 1: and comets with unusual compositions. By observing their spectral fingerprints,
Speaker 1: scientists can learn more about the building blocks of the
Speaker 1: early Solar System and how these bodies have evolved over time.
Speaker 1: The spacecraft itself is designed to be compact and efficient,
Speaker 1: carrying a telescope with a twenty centimeters aperture and two
Speaker 1: infrared cameras covering wavelengths from zero point seven five to
Speaker 1: five microns. These instruments will allow it to perform low
Speaker 1: resolution spectroscopy across a vast range of celestial targets. The
Speaker 1: mission's design prioritizes reliability and cost effectiveness, leveraging existing technologies
Speaker 1: to maximize scientific return. Unlike larger observatories that require extensive
Speaker 1: cooling systems, SPHEREx will operate in Earth orbit without cryogenic coolants,
Speaker 1: relying instead on passive cooling techniques. This makes it a
Speaker 1: relatively low cost mission compared to flagship observatories, but still
Speaker 1: capable of producing transformative scientific results. As the launch date approaches,
Speaker 1: engineers and scientists are finalizing the spacecraft's construction and calibration,
Speaker 1: ensuring that it will be ready for its ambitious maxis.
Speaker 1: Once operational, SPHEREx will provide one of the most comprehensive
Speaker 1: spectral maps of the universe ever created, enabling discoveries across
Speaker 1: multiple fields of astronomy. The data it collects will not
Speaker 1: only address its primary science goals, but will also serve
Speaker 1: as a rich resource for future research, supporting new studies
Speaker 1: on everything from stellar evolution to the search for biosignatures
Speaker 1: and planetary systems. Once SPHEREx begins operations, its data will
Speaker 1: revolutionize multiple fields of astrophysics, offering a comprehensive spectral map
Speaker 1: of the entire sky that will serve as a foundation
Speaker 1: for future discoveries. One of the most significant contributions will
Speaker 1: be its ability to test models of cosmic inflation with
Speaker 1: an unprecedented level of detail. The early universe underwent a
Speaker 1: period of rapid expansion, and while inflation is widely accepted
Speaker 1: as the best explanation for the large scale structure of
Speaker 1: the cosmos, direct observational evidence remains limited. SPHEREx will analyze
Speaker 1: the distribution of galaxies across cosmic time, searching for the
Speaker 1: subtle imprints left by inflation in the clustering of matter.
Speaker 1: By measuring the variation in infrared light from millions of galaxies,
Speaker 1: the mission will help distinguish between different inflationary theories, potentially
Speaker 1: providing the first clear evidence of quantum fluctuations that shape
Speaker 1: the universe in its earliest moments. Another groundbreaking aspect of
Speaker 1: SPHEREx is its capability to trace the cosmic history of
Speaker 1: water and organic molecules within the Milky Way and nearby galaxies.
Speaker 1: While planets and planetary systems form from vast clouds of
Speaker 1: gas and dust, the exact mechanisms that govern the distribution
Speaker 1: of water in these regions remain poorly understood. SPHEREx will
Speaker 1: conduct an extensive survey of interstellar iss identifying the locations
Speaker 1: and concentrations of water, carbon based molecules, and other volatiles
Speaker 1: crucial for planet formation. This data will help scientists understand
Speaker 1: how these essential ingredients for life accumulate in protoplanetary disks
Speaker 1: and how they may be delivered to developing planets. By
Speaker 1: comparing regions with different star forming conditions, SPHEREx will also
Speaker 1: shed light on how the availability of water and organic
Speaker 1: material varies across the galaxy, providing crucial insights into the
Speaker 1: likelihood of habitable environments beyond our solar system. The mission's
Speaker 1: ability to systematically map the sky every six months will
Speaker 1: make it an invaluable tool for studying transient and variable
Speaker 1: astronomical phenomena. Many celestial objects, including supernova quasars and uns
Speaker 1: distant gamma ray bursts, change in brightness over time. While
Speaker 1: traditional surveys focus on either deep observations of small regions
Speaker 1: or wide field imaging without spectral detail, SPHEREx will offer
Speaker 1: a unique combination of both approaches. By capturing low resolution
Speaker 1: infrared spectra of the entire sky, it will identify objects
Speaker 1: with unusual or changing light signatures, helping astronomers pinpoint new supernovae,
Speaker 1: track active galactic nuclei, and discover brown dwarfs and rogue planets.
Speaker 1: These transient events could provide new insights into the physics
Speaker 1: of extreme astrophysical processes, such as black hole accretion, neutron
Speaker 1: star collisions, and the life cycles of massive stars. One
Speaker 1: of the most practical applications of spherex's data will be
Speaker 1: its role in supporting future large scale observatories missions like
Speaker 1: the James Webb Space Telescope JWST, the Veri C. Reuben Observatory,
Speaker 1: and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope are designed to
Speaker 1: conduct deep targeted studies of specific astronomical objects. However, these
Speaker 1: observatories rely on survey data to determine the most promising
Speaker 1: targets for detailed follow up. SPHEREx will serve as a
Speaker 1: crucial precursor mission identifying interesting galaxies, exoplanetary systems, and stellar
Speaker 1: objects that merit further investigation. By providing spectral classifications for
Speaker 1: an enormous number of celestial sources, it will help optimize
Speaker 1: the use of larger, more specialized telescopes, ensuring that they
Speaker 1: focus on the most scientifically valuable targets. Beyond its planned objectives,
Speaker 1: SPHEREx is expected to generate a wealth of serendipitous discoveries.
Speaker 1: Or a telescope surveys the sky in a new way,
Speaker 1: it often uncovers unexpected phenomena that reshape our understanding of
Speaker 1: the universe. The infrared spectrum is particularly rich with hidden
Speaker 1: structures such as interstellar dust clouds, faint dwarf galaxies, and
Speaker 1: previously unknown cosmic filaments. It is possible that SPHEREx will
Speaker 1: detect entirely new classes of astronomical objects or reveal unexpected
Speaker 1: relationships between known structures. Additionally, its comprehensive sky mapping will
Speaker 1: be invaluable for refining our models of stellar evolution, galactic dynamics,
Speaker 1: and even the structure of the Solar System itself. The
Speaker 1: mission's impact extends beyond pure astrophysics. The all sky spectral
Speaker 1: maps produced by SPHEREx will be freely available to the
Speaker 1: global scientific community, enabling research in fields ranging from cosmology
Speaker 1: to planetary science. The vast data set will also support
Speaker 1: this study of exoplanets by improving our understanding of the
Speaker 1: environments where planets form. By identifying molecular signatures in different
Speaker 1: star forming regions, SPHEREx could help refine theories about planetary
Speaker 1: atmospheres in their potential to support life. This will be
Speaker 1: particularly useful for interpreting data from future missions dedicated to
Speaker 1: exoplanet characterization, such as the Roman Space Telescope and upcoming
Speaker 1: ground based observatories. As the launch date approaches, anticipation for
Speaker 1: SPHEREx continues to grow. Engineers are finalizing the spacecraft's construction
Speaker 1: and testing, ensuring that it can withstand the harsh conditions
Speaker 1: of space. The telescope's design, optimized for efficiency and longevity,
Speaker 1: will allow it to operate for at least two years
Speaker 1: in a sunsing Grenois polar orbit, ensuring full sky coverage
Speaker 1: with minimal interference from Earth's atmosphere. Once in space, SPHEREx
Speaker 1: will begin its systematic mapping of the cosmos, gradually assembling
Speaker 1: a detailed infrared portrait of the entire sky. The knowledge
Speaker 1: gained from SPHEREx will shape the next generation of astronomical research,
Speaker 1: answering fundamental questions about the origins of the universe while
Speaker 1: opening new avenues for exploration. Whether it uncovers evidence for inflation,
Speaker 1: reveals new details about galaxy formation, or helps identify the
Speaker 1: building blocks of life and distant planetary systems, the mission
Speaker 1: is poised to make lasting contributions to our understanding of
Speaker 1: the cosmos. Its ability to bridge the gap between large
Speaker 1: scale cosmology and planetary science underscores its importance as a
Speaker 1: uniquely versatile observatory. As the data be begins to flow
Speaker 1: back to Earth, astronomers around the world will have a
Speaker 1: powerful new tool to decode the mysteries of the universe,
Speaker 1: marking a new era in our quest to understand our
Speaker 1: cosmic origins, d