SPHEREx Images Mosaic

Three color mosaic of SPHEREx images from channels centered at 0.98 um (blue), 0.96 um (green) and 3.29 um (red). The green areas show ionization regions near a cluster of young stars in blue, traced out in the doubly ionized sulfur line, while red traces emission from the surrounding dusty PAHs.

Early SPHEREx Observations: NGC 1760 at 3.29 microns

NASA's SPHEREx mission is observing the entire sky in 102 colors of infrared light not visible to the human eye. This image shows a section of sky in one wavelength (3.29 microns), revealing the glow of sooty, carbon-based dust particles known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAH's). It is one component of the NGC 1760 star-forming nebula that is part of the neighboring galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Early SPHEREx Observations: NGC 1760 at 0.96 microns

NASA's SPHEREx mission is observing the entire sky in 102 colors of infrared light not visible to the human eye. This image shows a section of sky in one wavelength (0.96 microns), revealing the glow of ionized gaseous sulfur, heated by nearby stars to a degree that it has lost two of its electrons (SIII). It is one component of the NGC 1760 star-forming nebula that is part of the neighboring galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Early SPHEREx Observations: NGC 1760 at 0.98 microns

NASA's SPHEREx mission is observing the entire sky in 102 colors of infrared light not visible to the human eye. This image shows a section of sky in one wavelength (0.98 microns), of the star-forming nebula known as NGC 1760. At this wavelength there is very little glow from the gas and dust making up the nebula, leaving only the light from stars. This nebula is part of the neighboring galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud.

SPHEREx First Images

First light images from SPHEREx, captured March 27, 2025. These give a tantalizing first look at SPHEREx’s wide, multi-wavelength view of the sky. Each bright spot is a source, typically a star or a galaxy. Each image is expected to contain more than 100,000 detected sources. There are six images in every SPHEREx exposure — one for each detector. The top three images show the same area of sky as the bottom three images, spanning the observatory’s full 3.5 x 11.5 deg field of view. When the SPHEREx observatory begins routine science operations in April, it will take approximately 600 exposures every day.

SPHEREx First Light Images

First light images from SPHEREx, captured March 27, 2025. These give a tantalizing first look at SPHEREx’s wide, multi-wavelength view of the sky. Each bright spot is a source, typically a star or a galaxy. Each image is expected to contain more than 100,000 detected sources. There are six images in every SPHEREx exposure — one for each detector. The top three images show the same area of sky as the bottom three images, spanning the observatory’s full 3.5 x 11.5 deg field of view. When the SPHEREx observatory begins routine science operations in April, it will take approximately 600 exposures every day.

First Light GIF

2-Band Galactic Plane

Two overlapping 3.5 x 3.5 deg spectral images of the Galactic plane taken in band 2 and band 5. In band 2 (covering wavelengths 1.1 – 1.6 um) we see significant obscuration by intervening dust.

SPHEREx/PUNCH at SLC-4E - Sunset

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying NASAs SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellites, is vertical at Space Launch Complex 4 East from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Saturday, March 8, 2025.

SPHEREx/PUNCH Launch VSFB

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying NASAs SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellites, launches from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

SPHEREx Launch

SPHEREx Separation

SPHEREx/PUNCH Vertical at SLC-4E

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying NASAs SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellites, is vertical at Space Launch Complex 4 East from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Saturday March 8, 2025.

Heroes

SPHEREx Joint Ops

SPHEREx Observatory at Astrotech Corporation Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The SPHEREx Observatory has completed standalone operations in the West High Bay at Astrotech Space Operations Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Frontal View of the SPHEREx Observatory during Integration and Testing

Semi-frontal View of the SPHEREx Observatory During Integration and Testing

SPHEREx Integration and Test Team (BAE/JPL) at BAE Systems

SPHEREx Observatory Ready for Thermal Vacuum Test Campaign.

Sectional View of the SPHEREx with Cosmic Structures

Sectional view of the SPHEREx with cosmic structures in the background.

SPHEREx Spacecraft with Cosmic Structures

SPHEREx spacecraft with cosmic structures in the background.

Sectional View of the SPHEREx Spacecraft (Transparent)

Sectional view of the SPHEREx spacecraft with transparent background.

Sectional View of the SPHEREx Spacecraft

Sectional View of the SPHEREx Spacecraft against a black background.

SPHEREx Spacecraft (Transparent)

SPHEREx Spacecraft on a transparent background.

SPHEREx Spacecraft

SPHEREx Spacecraft on a black background.

SPHEREx Observatory Assembled (Front View)

SPHEREx Observatory Assembled (Side View)

SPHEREx Observatory Assembled (Upright View)

SPHEREx Observatory Assembled (Side View with Human)