SPHEREx Embarks on Cosmic Voyage: NASA's New Sky-Mapping Telescope Begins Mission

This May brings exciting developments in planetary science, with NASA's SPHEREx space telescope officially beginning its scientific mission on May 1st. After launching on March 11th and completing six weeks of checkouts and calibrations, the observatory is now mapping the entire sky, taking approximately 3,600 unique images daily. Over the next two years, SPHEREx will create comprehensive 3D charts of hundreds of millions of galaxies to investigate the origins of the universe and search for ingredients of life in our Milky Way. For skywatchers this month, Mars and Jupiter are visible in the western sky after sunset. Mars remains viewable for several hours after dark, while Jupiter sets earlier, around 9:30 or 10 pm. On May 3rd, the first quarter Moon appeared alongside the Red Planet, creating a striking celestial pairing. Early risers can enjoy Venus and Saturn in the morning eastern sky, with Saturn progressively rising higher throughout the month. The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaked on May 6th, offering skywatching opportunities for astronomy enthusiasts. Additionally, astronomers are anticipating a nova explosion in the Corona Borealis constellation in the coming months, which will briefly appear as a "new star" in our night sky. Recent research published in Science News revealed that Uranus radiates more energy than previously thought. According to two new studies, the ice giant emits more heat than it receives from the sun, providing new insights into the planet's internal dynamics. NASA scientists recently marked a new Martian year, which occurs every 687 Earth days. This milestone helps researchers track seasonal patterns on the Red Planet and coordinate ongoing mission activities. In data collection news, the Planetary Data System released several datasets in April 2025, including calibrated information from various Mars missions, Pioneer 10 cosmic ray measurements, and near-infrared spectra of near-Earth objects. Researchers are also developing new approaches to Mars exploration, with proposals to use helicopters rather than rovers to explore the vast Valles Marineris canyon system, potentially revolutionizing how we investigate challenging Martian terrain. This evolving strategy builds on the success of previous aerial vehicles on the Red Planet and aims to access areas unreachable by traditional ground-based rovers. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.