Connect with us

Published

4 months ago

on

NASA’s SPHEREx mission has sent back its first images from space. This marks an important step before it begins the full survey of the sky. The space telescope, which was launched on March 11, 2025, is designed to scan millions of galaxies and collect data in infrared light. On March 27, its detectors captured uncalibrated images that show thousands of light sources, including distant stars and galaxies. The images, processed with added colours for infrared wavelengths, confirm that SPHEREx is operating as expected. Once fully operational, the telescope will take 600 exposures daily and map the entire sky four times during its two-year mission.

Recorded Images Reveals Interesting Details

According to NASA’s SPHEREx mission, the observatory’s six detectors recorded images of the same area of the sky, providing a wide field of view. The top three images represent one portion of the sky, while the bottom three cover the same section. As per the report, the SPHEREx catpured each image with around 100,000 light sources. As per multiple reports, scientists can now learn more about what celestial objects and its distance from Earth with the help of infrared wavelengths. The data from SPHEREx will also help researchers to explore the origins of water in the Milky Way. Moreover, it might also help the scientists to find more clues about the universe’s earliest moments.

Olivier Doré, SPHEREx project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Caltech, told NASA that the telescope is functioning as intended. The infrared light detected by SPHEREx is invisible to human eyes, but colour mapping enables researchers to visualise and analyse it. The observatory’s unique design includes 17 infrared wavelength bands for each detector, creating a total of 102 hues in every six-image capture.

How the Telescope Works

Unlike Hubble or the James Webb Space Telescope, which focuses on specific areas of space, SPHEREx is built for large-scale surveys. It uses spectroscopy to break down light and identify chemical compositions and distances of celestial bodies. Light entering the telescope is divided into two paths, each leading to three detectors. Specialised filters process the incoming wavelengths, allowing for detailed observations of millions of cosmic sources.

Beth Fabinsky, deputy project manager at JPL, said in NASA’s official statement that the successful image capture represents a major milestone. The telescope has also reached its target operating temperature of minus 350 degrees Fahrenheit, crucial for detecting faint infrared signals. Since focusing cannot be adjusted after launch, mission engineers verified the accuracy of the telescope’s optics before sending it into space.

Jamie Bock, principal investigator at JPL and Caltech, confirmed in NASA’s report that the telescope is performing as expected. Engineers will continue testing before the observatory begins routine operations in late April.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Science

China Launches PRSS-01 to Elevate Pakistan’s Space and Disaster Response

Published

1 day ago

on

August 3, 2025

By

China Launches PRSS-01 to Elevate Pakistan’s Space and Disaster Response

In a major fillip to Pakistan’s space and disaster management applications, China Thursday launched the first ever Remote Sensing Satellite-1 (PRSS-01) exclusively for Pakistan. The satellite was carried into orbit on a Kuaizhou-1A rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province. PRSS-01 was injected into the intended orbit after liftoff, and all systems were declared functioning properly. The satellite will be used to support agriculture and land surveys, urban planning, emergency disaster response, as well as environmental monitoring scans for the country, and marks a new beginning in Pakistan’s ambitions of a space program. It also highlights persistent cooperation between China and Pakistan in technology associated with space science, as well as earth observation.

Earth Observation and Disaster Management

According to the official website, PRSS-01 is equipped with high-resolution imaging systems capable of providing detailed data across a wide range of civilian and governmental uses. Its uses consist of national land survey, urban planning, and real-time environmental monitoring. Crucially, it increases Pakistan’s ability to respond rapidly and efficiently when natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes occur. It is anticipated that the technology will be valuable in long-term infrastructure planning and will promote smarter, sustainable development across the country.

Strengthening Bilateral Space Cooperation

The PRSS-01 launch indicates that the strategic cooperation between China and Pakistan is deepening, in aerospace technology as well. Engineers from the two countries worked closely together throughout the development and launch processes, including substantial technological support from China. The mission will continue the spirit of collaboration evident in satellite communications and scientific payloads between China, Pakistan, and Algeria, strengthening confidence among partners.

The successful launch of PRSS-01 is not only a great leap for Pakistan in promoting national development, but also an important step towards China’s deepening cooperation with countries along the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) and its aerospace industry transforming from being big to strong. With the launch of PRSS-01, industry expects a new era in improved satellite services for Pakistan.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


Mysterious Planet Nine May Still Lurk in the Outer Solar System



Arabia Kadali OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Telugu Web Series Online?

Continue Reading

Science

Mysterious Planet Nine May Still Lurk in the Outer Solar System

Published

1 day ago

on

August 3, 2025

By

Mysterious Planet Nine May Still Lurk in the Outer Solar System

The concept of a large, hidden planet or planets lurking in the most distant regions of our solar system has been known since before Pluto’s discovery on 1930s. Originally named “Planet X,” it had been proposed to account for irregularities in Uranus’s orbit. That mystery was eventually resolved by recalculating Neptune’s mass. But in 2016, Caltech astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown resurrected the puzzle with a new idea — Planet Nine — which was based on the bizarre orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects. The explanation is that a huge planet far away is gravitationally pulling on these objects.

The Case for Planet Nine

According to Batygin and Brown’s observation, many of the Kuiper Belt objects don’t travel on orbits as expected. This suggests that, like the Moon (whose outward spiral from Earth is due to earth’s gravity), these distant objects are somehow being perturbed by something other than our Sun. The hypothesised Planet Nine is believed to be several times the size of Earth and orbiting out beyond Neptune. Supporting evidence are the discovery of recently detected trans-Neptunian-object with elliptical-orbits (such as 2017 OF201 ) which could have been sculpted by a massive planet.
In 2024, Brown reaffirmed confidence in the theory, stating, “There are currently no other explanations for the effects that we see.” More trans-Neptunian discoveries keep pointing toward an unknown gravitational force.

Challenges and New Clues

However, the theory faces hurdles. Other astronomers contend that there is not enough data on the Kuiper Belt to warrant a Planet Nine. Others suggest alternative explanations, such as a debris ring or even something more exotic like a small black hole. One is reduced observing time; tens of thousands of years are required for these objects so far from our planet to orbit.

Recent finds, such as the sednoid 2023 KQ14 — so elongated that it looks stable in an empty solar system — complicate the scenario even more. If Planet Nine is out there, it could be at least 500 AU away from the Sun. In the meantime, astronomers are continuing to search those huge, remote edges of our solar system using ground- and space-based telescopes.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


SpaceX, NASA Delay Crew-11 Launch Due to Thick Clouds over Kennedy Space Center



Arabia Kadali OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Telugu Web Series Online?

Continue Reading

Science

SpaceX, NASA Delay Crew-11 Launch Due to Thick Clouds over Kennedy Space Center

Published

1 day ago

on

August 3, 2025

By

SpaceX, NASA Delay Crew-11 Launch Due to Thick Clouds over Kennedy Space Center

Just over a minute before liftoff on July 31, SpaceX called off the launch of NASA’s Crew-11 mission due to unsafe weather at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The scrub came after a dense bank of cumulus clouds drifted within a 10-mile radius of the launch pad, violating flight safety criteria. The Crew-11 mission is set to carry four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule, marking the spacecraft’s sixth flight — a reuse record under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Weather Forces Delay, But Crew-11 Eyes August 1 Launch Amid Cautious Optimism from NASA

According to NASA’s live broadcast, launch commentator Derrol Nail stated the dark cumulus clouds posed a potential hazard, as rockets should not pass through tall cloud formations. “That could generate some energy from the rocket passing through it,” Nail noted. The area around Launch Complex 39A was still being “watched” for cloud development, with live views showing clouds creeping ever closer.

The next available opportunity to launch is Friday, August 1, at 11:43 a.m. EDT (1543 GMT), with a backup time of Saturday, August 2, at 11:21 a.m. EDT (1521 GMT). NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov make up Crew-11.

Once launched, it will take the mission roughly 40 hours to reach the ISS and begin orbiting Earth’s atmosphere at about 248 miles above its surface while going over 17,500 mph. The Endeavour capsule’s sixth flight is another step in NASA and SpaceX’s collaboration to transport astronauts on privately owned spacecraft.

Crew-11 will be the 11th mission of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. It’s late, officials have mentioned, but safety is still the top thing. Disappointing though that may be, it’s a way to help ensure the crew and spacecraft will make it there in one piece, at precisely the right moment.

Continue Reading

Trending