NASA's SPHEREx Space Telescope Begins Capturing Entire Sky (nasa.gov) 22
NASA's SPHEREx space observatory has officially begun its two-year mission to map the entire sky in 102 infrared wavelengths, capturing about 3,600 images daily to create 3D maps of hundreds of millions of galaxies. Its goal is to unlock new insights into cosmic inflation, the origins of galaxies, and the building blocks of life in the Milky Way by using spectroscopy to analyze light and matter across the universe. From a press release: From its perch in Earth orbit, SPHEREx peers into the darkness, pointing away from the planet and the Sun. The observatory will complete more than 11,000 orbits over its 25 months of planned survey operations, circling Earth about 14.5 times a day. It orbits Earth from north to south, passing over the poles, and each day it takes images along one circular strip of the sky. As the days pass and the planet moves around the Sun, SPHEREx's field of view shifts as well so that after six months, the observatory will have looked out into space in every direction.
When SPHEREx takes a picture of the sky, the light is sent to six detectors that each produces a unique image capturing different wavelengths of light. These groups of six images are called an exposure, and SPHEREx takes about 600 exposures per day. When it's done with one exposure, the whole observatory shifts position -- the mirrors and detectors don't move as they do on some other telescopes. Rather than using thrusters, SPHEREx relies on a system of reaction wheels, which spin inside the spacecraft to control its orientation.
Hundreds of thousands of SPHEREx's images will be digitally woven together to create four all-sky maps in two years. By mapping the entire sky, the mission will provide new insights about what happened in the first fraction of a second after the big bang. In that brief instant, an event called cosmic inflation caused the universe to expand a trillion-trillionfold.
When SPHEREx takes a picture of the sky, the light is sent to six detectors that each produces a unique image capturing different wavelengths of light. These groups of six images are called an exposure, and SPHEREx takes about 600 exposures per day. When it's done with one exposure, the whole observatory shifts position -- the mirrors and detectors don't move as they do on some other telescopes. Rather than using thrusters, SPHEREx relies on a system of reaction wheels, which spin inside the spacecraft to control its orientation.
Hundreds of thousands of SPHEREx's images will be digitally woven together to create four all-sky maps in two years. By mapping the entire sky, the mission will provide new insights about what happened in the first fraction of a second after the big bang. In that brief instant, an event called cosmic inflation caused the universe to expand a trillion-trillionfold.
Re: Big Bang Theory Violates All Laws Of Physics (Score:2)
Which is why it is a *theory*
Re: Big Bang Theory Violates All Laws Of Physics (Score:5, Informative)
Nearly all astrophysical theories are untestable in the narrow sense of creating a universe in the lab and running experiments on how they proceed. Rather, most real astrophysical theories are, at their heart, mathematical theories. We then test their consequences from what we can see. We have methods for falsifying them by testing their predictions. So, not untestable.
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There are no "mathematical theories" in physics, as it is a science, which means there must be an experimental confirmation of whatever hypothesis one puts forward. The fact that you describe it in some formal language doesn't change that.
So, every piece of an astrophysical hypothesis must be tested experimentally, either by a direct observation, or by an indirect one, which can unambiguously be tied to the supposed underlying processes.
Otherwise/until then it is just an exercise in creative problem solvin
Re: Big Bang Theory Violates All Laws Of Physics (Score:5, Informative)
Which is why it is a *theory*
Can't tell what you're trying to imply with the quotations, so I'll just post this, What Is a Theory? [amnh.org]
In everyday use, the word "theory" often means an untested hunch, or a guess without supporting evidence.
But for scientists, a theory has nearly the opposite meaning. A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts.
Re: Big Bang Theory Violates All Laws Of Physics (Score:2)
Those are asterisks, not quotation marks. A quotation would be the text between the marks. Sucks getting old, set your text size bigger.
Re: (Score:2)
Those are asterisks, not quotation marks. A quotation would be the text between the marks. Sucks getting old, set your text size bigger.
Good catch, thanks for the assist. Not old, just very sleep deprived this morning. Will either take a nap or get more coffee - or one then the other. :-)
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Re: How can a "3D map of a distant galaxy" (Score:2)
Because in a year all of the stars will have moved very slightly from our perspective, but 2 datum *does* give perspective as to what's moving where and at what speeds. Our eyes give us 2 data points and we can see 3d, even with tiny variations.
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oh, wait [wikipedia.org]
This entire thread in two words (Score:2, Insightful)
Dunning-Kruger.
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The probe better hurry and finish before DOGE yanks the funds so that Musk can redirect the funds to land the first phallic symbol on Mars.