ASTRONOMY COLLOQUIUM

SPHEREx is an all-sky survey satellite designed to address three science goals with a single instrument, a wide-field spectral imager. SPHEREx will probe the physics of inflation through measurements of non-Gaussianity by studying large-scale structure, surveying a large cosmological volume at low redshifts. The origin of water and biogenic molecules will be investigated in all phases of planetary system formation - from molecular clouds to young stellar systems with protoplanetary disks - by measuring ice absorption spectra. We will chart the origin and history of galaxy formation by mapping large-scale spatial power in two deep fields located near the ecliptic poles. Following in the tradition of all-sky missions, SPHEREx will be the first all-sky near-infrared spectral survey, creating spectra (0.75 – 4.2 um at R = 40, and 4.2 – 5 um at R = 135) with high sensitivity using a cooled telescope with a wide field-of-view for large mapping speed. Our two-year mission recently started in earnest with a successful launch on 11 March. I will share photos of the launch campaign and some (very!) preliminary results from in-orbit checkout as we start to operate the observatory in space.