A newly launched space observatory, designed to chart the entire sky over a two-year period, has commenced capturing images to enhance our understanding of the universe’s early stages. The SPHEREx space telescope, , initiated its observation phase this past week following a month-long setup and system check period, as reported by . The space telescope is expected to complete approximately 14.5 orbits around Earth daily, capturing around 3,600 images per day, and observing the sky in a record 102 wavelengths of infrared light. These observations will ultimately be combined to create four comprehensive “all-sky” maps.

**The SPHEREx Survey**
The 25-month survey conducted by SPHEREx will be all-encompassing. As NASA explains, the spacecraft orbits Earth from north to south, passing over the poles, and each day it captures images along one circular strip of the sky. As the days pass and Earth moves around the Sun, SPHEREx’s field of view shifts, allowing the observatory to look out into space in every direction after six months. Researchers will utilize the SPHEREx observations to study the universe’s expansion in the moments following the big bang and search for the ingredients for life elsewhere in the Milky Way.