Latest news with #RomanSpaceTelescope
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA's new Roman Space Telescope aims to discover 100,000 cosmic explosions
While the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes continue to offer astronomers revolutionary glimpses of our universe, their upcoming sibling may very well upstage them. Scheduled to launch in 2027, NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is designed with a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble's, with the potential to document light from over a billion galaxies over its career. Combined with timelapse recording capabilities, Roman will help researchers to better understand exoplanets, infrared astrophysics, and the nature of dark matter. But it doesn't stop there. According to a study published on July 15 in The Astrophysics Journal, Roman is poised to eventually capture an estimated 100,000 celestial explosions over its lifetime. These could include everything from supernovae to hungry black holes, but astrophysicists theorize Roman may potentially even find evidence of the very first stars to ever form in the universe. Galactic 'gold mine' 'Whether you want to explore dark energy, dying stars, galactic powerhouses, or probably even entirely new things we've never seen before, this survey will be a gold mine,' Benjamin Rose, a physicist at Baylor University and the study's lead author, said in a statement. Rose and colleagues reached their estimate after running a simulation of the Roman's High-Latitude Time-Domain Core Community Survey. Once in place, the space telescope's survey is designed to scan a single, vast portion of the universe every five days for two years. Astronomers will compile all of those snapshots into what amounts to cosmic movies, then document every kind of energy blast they find. 'By seeing the way an object's light changes over time and splitting it into spectra—individual colors with patterns that reveal information about the object that emitted the light—we can distinguish between all the different types of flashes Roman will see,' explained Rebekah Hounsell, a study co-author and assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Peering back in time The majority of events will likely be various types of exploding stars, or novae. The telescope's survey itself is particularly oriented to detect a rarer class of stellar bursts known as Type Ia supernovae. These cosmic mileage posts help researchers measure cosmic distances and analyze the universe's expansion rate. As NASA explains, understanding the speed of expansion amid various epochs can key astronomers into dark matter's behavior. Based on this study's simulation, Roman's handlers can expect to find about 27,000 Type Ia supernovae. That's more than 10 times the number collected by all previous surveys. Peering further into the depths of space also means Roman will glimpse further back into time than any telescope before it. Most supernovae detected so far by astronomers have occurred within the last 8 billion years. Roman is expected to push that timeline back to over 10 billion years ago— and possibly even as far as 11.5 billion years. 'Filling these data gaps could also fill in gaps in our understanding of dark energy,' said Rose. 'Evidence is mounting that dark energy has changed over time, and Roman will help us understand that change by exploring cosmic history in ways other telescopes can't.' The simulation dataset created by Rose's team isn't limited to their own study. According to Hounsell, other experts can use it to develop their own machine-learning algorithms to comb through Roman's gigantic troves of data for their own subjects. 'While searching for type Ia supernovae, Roman is going to collect a lot of cosmic 'bycatch'—other phenomena that aren't useful to some scientists, but will be invaluable to others,' explained Hounsell. One such phenomena may be multiple kilonovae—gargantuan explosions that result when a neutron star (a leftover supernova core) slams into another neutron star. Astronomers theorize that kilonovae may also occur when a neutron star collides with a black hole. Researchers have only officially ever documented a single such event, but the study's authors believe the Roman telescope could pinpoint another five of them. These anticipated discoveries only scratch the surface of what Roman could achieve. However, engineers must first finish the telescope and successfully launch it into orbit. The launch is currently scheduled no earlier than May 2027. NASA's multibillion dollar budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration may jeopardize the Roman project, despite its potential completion ahead of time and cheaper than expected. 'This is nuts,' former co-chair of Roman's science team David Spergel told Scientific American earlier this year. 'You've built it, and you're not going to do the final step to finish it? That is such a waste of taxpayers' money.'However, It's by no means a death sentence for Roman just yet. As of July 15, Congress was in talks to reject the majority of the White House's proposed NASA cuts. Solve the daily Crossword
Sustainability Times
01-07-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'NASA Unveils Cosmic Spectacle': Stunning New Images and Sounds of Andromeda Galaxy Leave Astronomers in Absolute Awe
IN A NUTSHELL 🌌 NASA released stunning images and a sonification of the Andromeda galaxy , our closest spiral neighbor. released stunning images and a sonification of the , our closest spiral neighbor. 🔭 Composite images were created using data across various spectrums, revealing new insights into galactic evolution . . 🎵 Sonification converts Andromeda's energy wavelengths into sound, providing an immersive auditory experience of the galaxy. 🔍 Future explorations, including the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, aim to uncover more about dark matter and cosmic mysteries. The universe is filled with wonders, and one of the most fascinating is the Andromeda galaxy. As the closest spiral galaxy neighbor to our own Milky Way, Andromeda offers a glimpse into the structure and evolution of galaxies. Recently, NASA released stunning new images and a remarkable sonification of Andromeda's energy wavelengths, providing fresh insights into this distant cosmic marvel. These advancements not only deepen our understanding of Andromeda itself but also shed light on mysteries such as dark matter, first discovered within this galaxy. Join us as we delve into these awe-inspiring revelations. The Milky Way's Spiral Neighbor: Andromeda The Andromeda galaxy, also known as Messier 31, is located approximately 2.5 million light-years away from Earth. It stands as the Milky Way's closest spiral sibling, making it an excellent subject for astronomers to study galaxy formation and evolution. Observing Andromeda allows scientists to gain insights into features that mirror those of our own galaxy. This proximity offers a unique vantage point, enabling researchers to examine phenomena such as star formation, galactic collisions, and supermassive black holes. In the 1960s, astronomer Vera Rubin's work in Andromeda led to the groundbreaking discovery of dark matter. By observing the rotational speeds of stars within the galaxy, Rubin identified anomalies that suggested the presence of an invisible mass influencing gravitational forces. This discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe, highlighting the vast unknowns still to be explored. Today, Andromeda continues to be a focal point for research, revealing new layers of complexity with each observation. 'They Found the Missing Matter': Cosmic Radio Bursts Used to Map Long-Lost Atoms Hiding Across the Universe for Billions of Years New Insights from Composite Imaging NASA's latest release of Andromeda images showcases the galaxy in unprecedented detail. These composite images were created by combining data across the entire energy spectrum, collected by some of the world's most powerful telescopes. Instruments such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton contributed to capturing a wide range of light, from visible to infrared, radio, and ultraviolet wavelengths. This multi-spectral approach reveals a vibrant and dynamic galaxy, brimming with activity. The images highlight various features, including the high-energy radiation surrounding Andromeda's supermassive black hole. By layering light from different spectrums, astronomers can identify regions of star formation and other dynamic processes. This comprehensive view enriches our understanding of Andromeda's structure, offering clues to the galaxy's past interactions and future evolution. With each new piece of data, scientists are piecing together the intricate puzzle of how spiral galaxies like Andromeda and the Milky Way are shaped and transformed over time. 'Space Needs Nuclear Now': This New Global Race to Harness Atomic Power Beyond Earth Is Accelerating Faster Than Expected The Harmony of Space: Sonification of Andromeda In addition to visual data, NASA has introduced an innovative way of experiencing the Andromeda galaxy through sonification. By converting the galaxy's energy wavelengths into sound, researchers have created an auditory representation of Andromeda's dynamic processes. This process involves assigning musical notes to different wavelengths, with brightness indicating volume and spectrum location determining pitch. The result is an ethereal symphony that traces the galaxy's 152,000 light-year diameter. This auditory experience provides a new dimension to understanding Andromeda, allowing both scientists and the public to perceive its complexities in a novel way. The sonification highlights the interconnected nature of light and sound, offering an immersive perspective on cosmic phenomena. As researchers continue to explore this auditory frontier, they are uncovering new ways to engage with the universe, expanding our sensory understanding of celestial bodies. 'Like Nothing Ever Seen Before': Astronomers Discover a Colossal Milky Way Cloud Containing the Mass of 160,000 Suns Future Explorations and the Quest for Dark Matter The study of Andromeda is far from complete. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled to begin operations in 2027, promises to further unravel the galaxy's secrets. This next-generation observatory will provide high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy, potentially unlocking new insights into dark matter and other cosmic mysteries. As astronomers prepare for these advancements, they remain hopeful that Andromeda will continue to illuminate the hidden facets of the universe. Dark matter remains one of the most elusive components of our cosmic understanding. The work initiated by Vera Rubin in Andromeda set the stage for ongoing investigations into this enigmatic substance. By continuing to study Andromeda, scientists aim to refine their models and theories, inching closer to answering fundamental questions about the universe's composition and behavior. The quest for dark matter is a testament to humanity's enduring curiosity and determination to explore the unknown. As we continue to explore the cosmos, the Andromeda galaxy serves as a beacon of discovery and inspiration. Its proximity and spiral structure offer a unique opportunity to study phenomena that shape galaxies, including our own. With each new image and sonification, we gain a deeper appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the universe. What future revelations await us in the vast expanse of space, and how will they reshape our understanding of the cosmos? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (28)
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Roman Space Telescope will use a century-old idea from Einstein to probe the nature of mysterious dark matter
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. When NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope begins science operations in 2027, it will use a space-bending effect first predicted by Einstein back in 1916 in an attempt to crack one of science's greatest mysteries: the nature of dark matter. The phenomenon in question is that of "gravitational lensing." The great physicist's magnum opus theory of gravity, general relativity, proposes that this occurs when objects of great mass warp the very fabric of space-time (the four-dimensional unification of space and time), and light from background sources is curved as it passes these "dents" in the cosmos. A new study suggests that the images created by Roman as it performs its huge cosmic surveys could contain around 160,000 gravitational lenses. The research team estimates that around 500 of these could be ideal for investigating dark matter, the universe's most mysterious "stuff." "Ultimately, the question we're trying to address is: What particle or particles constitute dark matter?" research team principal investigator Tansu Daylan, a faculty fellow at the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, said in a statement. "While some properties of dark matter are known, we essentially have no idea what makes up dark matter," Daylan added. "Roman will help us to distinguish how dark matter is distributed on small scales and, hence, its particle nature." Dark matter represents such a big puzzle for scientists because, despite the fact it makes up around 85% of the matter in the universe, they have little idea what it actually is. The crux of the problem is the fact that dark matter doesn't interact with light (more formally, electromagnetic radiation). This not only means dark matter is effectively invisible, but also that it can't be composed of particles like electrons, protons, and neutrons that make up the atoms that compose everyday matter like stars, planets, moons, and the cat next door. Those do interact with light; that's why you can see said cat defiling your herb garden again. (Why always my basil, Tatty? WHY?) The lack of interaction with electromagnetic radiation, one of the universe's four fundamental forces, has led scientists to search beyond the standard model of particle physics to hunt for new particles that could account for dark matter. You might be wondering how dark matter can curve light if it doesn't interact with light. The answer is that it uses a middle man, another of the universe's four fundamental forces: gravity. General relativity states that all bodies with mass curve space-time to some extent. Light is then forced to follow this curve. Thus, dark matter can play a role in gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing happens when light from a background source passes an object of great mass, like a galaxy. This light is curved, but how extreme this curvature is depends on how close to that body of mass the light passes. That means that light from the same source can take paths of different lengths around a gravitational lens, thus arriving at the same telescope at different times. There are a few possible results of this lensing effect. The background source could be greatly magnified, an effect that NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is using to spot early galaxies, or can even appear at multiple places in the same image, often forming stunning arrangements like Einstein rings and crosses. But the gravitational lensing effect can also reveal details about the lens itself. If that lens is a galaxy, it can show the distribution of that galaxy's "invisible" dark matter. "This effect produces multiple images of the background galaxy that are magnified and distorted differently," Daylan said. These "duplicate images" allow scientists to make multiple measurements of how the lensing galaxy's mass is distributed, resulting in a far more precise measurement. Each image Roman that generates will be around 200 times larger than those produced by the Hubble Space Telescope, and that is how this exciting new space telescope will deliver a wealth of new gravitational lenses. But there is more to Roman's gravitational lens hunting than quantity; the new study shows that it will be about the quality of these new Roman-delivered lenses, too. "Roman will not only significantly increase our sample size [of gravitational lenses] — its sharp, high-resolution images will also allow us to discover gravitational lenses that appear smaller on the sky," said Daylan. "Ultimately, both the alignment and the brightness of the background galaxies need to meet a certain threshold so we can characterize the dark matter within the foreground galaxies." Roman's Wide Field Instrument, A 300-megapixel camera, will allow researchers to gauge the bending of the background galaxies' light with such precision that it is akin to measuring the diameter of a human hair from the distance of more than two and a half American football fields or soccer pitches. Because smaller clumps of dark matter cause less extreme warping, this sensitivity will allow researchers to detect and characterize smaller, less massive dark matter structures. Roman could therefore help spot the sort of dark matter "clumps" that scientists propose came together in the early universe to build galaxies. "Finding gravitational lenses and being able to detect clumps of dark matter in them is a game of tiny odds. With Roman, we can cast a wide net and expect to get lucky often," study team leader Bryce Wedig, also of Washington University in St. Louis, said in the same statement. "With Roman, we can cast a wide net and expect to get lucky often. We won't see dark matter in the images — it's invisible — but we can measure its effects." Related Stories: — Something 'fishy' is happening with the Milky Way's dark matter halo — How the Large Hadron Collider's successor will hunt for the dark universe — Dark matter might live in a dense haze around stellar corpses "We will push the limits of what we can observe, and use every gravitational lens we detect with Roman to pin down the particle nature of dark matter," Daylan concluded. The team's research was published on June 5 in The Astrophysical Journal.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA continues building next-gen Roman Space Telescope despite budget worries
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA engineers have successfully completed testing on one half of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — a key step in making sure this future observatory will perform as expected once it reaches space. "This milestone tees us up to attach the flight solar array sun shield to the outer barrel assembly, and deployable aperture cover, which we'll begin this month," said Jack Marshall, who leads integration and testing for these Roman Space Telescope elements at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Then we'll complete remaining environmental tests for the flight assembly before moving on to connect Roman's two major assemblies and run the full observatory through testing, and then we'll be ready to launch!" he continued. Launch is expected to occur sometime in early 2027. That timeline, however, could still be up in the air as the White House plans to slash NASA's budget in 2026. The drastic 24% cut — the largest in NASA's history — would affect major projects like the Gateway moon-orbiting space station and Mars sample return, among others. Previously released "passback documents," which also describe possible White House fiscal year budget scenarios, suggested funding will be given for the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope but not other telescopes. However, the agency is still awaiting a finalized budget. For now, engineers are continuing their work on Roman. Back in January, before thermal testing could begin, engineers attached the telescope's visor-like sunshade called the "deployable aperture cover" to the telescope's outer barrel assembly, which will eventually house its powerful instruments. By March, they'd also added a set of test solar panels. In April, this entire setup was moved into the Space Environment Simulator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland — a giant chamber that mimics the harsh hot-and-cold temperatures Roman will face in space. Of note, those aforementioned passback documents had reportedly suggested the White House's possible cuts to NASA funding could see Goddard Space Flight Center shut down entirely. Related Stories: — NASA installs 'bulletproof' sunshade on powerful Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (photos) — Trump's 2026 budget plan would cancel NASA's Mars Sample Return mission. Experts say that's a 'major step back' — Experts alarmed as White House proposes 'largest single-year cut to NASA in American history' "The test verifies the instruments will remain at stable operating temperatures even while the sun bakes one side of the observatory and the other is exposed to freezing conditions — all in a vacuum, where heat doesn't flow as readily as it does through air," said Jeremy Perkins, an astrophysicist serving as Roman's observatory integration and test scientist at NASA Goddard. Once Roman is out in orbit nearly a million miles from Earth, there's no easy way to send astronauts to fix it. That's why NASA engineers work tirelessly to make sure everything deploys and operates flawlessly. No second chances. Technicians are gearing up to connect Roman's two main sections this November. Once joined, the telescope will officially become a fully assembled observatory by the end of the year. After final testing is complete, Roman will be packed up and shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin launch preparations in summer 2026. NASA scientists say the mission remains on schedule, though they are working hard toward the possibility of an even earlier liftoff as soon as fall 2026.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA installs 'bulletproof' sunshade on powerful Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (photos)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The team working on NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has announced the successful installation of the observatory's sunshade. This visor-like shade serves as a deployable aperture cover, blocking stray light that could interfere with observations or reduce the sensitivity of the infrared telescope, which is expected to launch no later than 2027. The sunshade will operate like a pair of blackout blinds, which will allow Roman to pick up the faintest light from across the universe, "helping astronomers see dimmer and farther objects," NASA officials said in a statement. The sunshade consists of two flexible layers of reinforced thermal blankets, differing from the rigid light shields used on the Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories. It is designed to remain folded during launch and deploy once Roman is in space. Related: What is the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope? "Three booms will spring upward when triggered electronically, raising the sunshade like a page in a pop-up book," NASA said in the statement. The team integrated the sunshade onto Roman's outer barrel assembly, which is another structure designed to shield the telescope from stray light while also helping to maintain a stable temperature for optimal operation and protect it from micrometeoroid impacts. "We're prepared for micrometeoroid impacts that could occur in space, so the blanket is heavily fortified," said Brian Simpson, Roman's deployable aperture cover lead at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "One layer is even reinforced with Kevlar, the same thing that lines bulletproof vests," Simpson added. "By placing some space in between the layers, we reduce the risk that light would leak in, because it's unlikely that the light would pass through both layers at the exact same points where the holes were." Engineers previously conducted thorough tests on both the sunshade and outer barrel assembly separately. Now that the two components have been integrated, they are undergoing another round of assessments. The team also tested the deployment of the sunshade following its installation. "Since the sunshade was designed to deploy in space, the system isn't actually strong enough to deploy itself in Earth's gravity," said Matthew Neuman, a mechanical engineer working on Roman's sunshade at NASA Goddard. "So we used a gravity-negation system to offset its weight and verified that everything works as expected." Related stories: — NASA's next-gen Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope gets its powerful eye (photos) — NASA dips into futuristic AR tech to build powerful Roman Space Telescope — 'Cosmic dawn:' NASA's Roman Space Telescope will get baby pictures of our universe The next step is thermal vacuum testing, in which the combined components will be exposed to the temperature and pressure conditions of space to verify their functionality. After that, they will undergo a shake test to evaluate their ability to withstand the intense vibrations of launch. "Roman is made up of a lot of separate components that come together after years of design and fabrication," said Laurence Madison, a mechanical engineer at NASA Goddard. "The deployable aperture cover and outer barrel assembly were built at the same time, and up until the integration the two teams mainly used reference drawings to make sure everything would fit together as they should. So the successful integration was both a proud moment and a relief!" Roman will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and head to the sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2, a gravitationally stable spot about 900,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from our planet. From there, it will study a variety of cosmic objects and phenomena, from exoplanets to the effects of dark energy.
