Produced by: Manoj Kumar
SPHEREx will scan the galaxy for frozen water on interstellar dust grains, uncovering the birthplace of Earth's oceans and potential alien seas.
Credit : NASA
Launching Feb. 27, SPHEREx will "follow the water," mapping frozen compounds critical for life across the galaxy's molecular clouds.
Credit : NASA
Molecular clouds hide water and ices deep within. SPHEREx aims to reveal their abundance and role in planet formation.
Credit : NASA
By observing 9 million molecular cloud regions, SPHEREx will unravel how water and carbon compounds form and thrive in space.
Credit : NASA
Unlike other telescopes, SPHEREx creates a 3D map of ice across the galaxy, offering unprecedented insights into interstellar chemistry.
Credit : NASA
Earth's oceans may trace back to water frozen on interstellar dust. SPHEREx will explore these building blocks of life.
Credit : NASA
SPHEREx identifies intriguing regions, while Webb zooms in for detailed views—together, they reveal space’s icy secrets.
Credit : NASA
Using spectroscopy, SPHEREx will spot water and carbon molecules by detecting their unique light-blocking patterns.
Credit : NASA
SPHEREx will examine how frozen water and ices evolve in molecular clouds, from starless regions to planets forming around newborn stars.