Latest Images
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.
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/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.
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
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.
Displaying all 26 images
