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URL: https://spherex.caltech.edu/

⇱ SPHEREx

An All-Sky Spectral Survey

A Rich Legacy Archive for the Astronomy Community with 100's of Millions of Stars and Galaxies
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Latest from SPHEREx

NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Tracks Brightening of Interstellar Comet

February 4th, 2026

NASA’s SPHEREx mission turned its infrared gaze on interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in December 2025, adding to the deep pool of information the agency has gathered on what is only the third such object...

SPHEREx Mission Team Wins ECAD Award

February 2nd, 2026

The SPHEREx Mission Team wins the Sylvia A. Earle Award for Exploration Excellence.

NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory Completes First Cosmic Map Like No Other

December 18th, 2025

Launched in March, NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope has completed its first infrared map of the entire sky in 102 colors. While not visible to the human eye, these 102 infrared wavelengths of light...

Designed to Explore

The Origin of the Universe
The Origin and History of Galaxies
The Origin of Water in Planetary Systems
One way to test the theory of inflation is to measure the imprint of inflationary ripples on the large-scale structure (LSS) of galaxies. SPHEREx will probe the statistical distribution of inflationary ripples by measuring the large-scale 3D distribution of galaxies.
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The SPHEREx observing strategy naturally generates a wide+deep map at each ecliptic pole (the southern map will be shifted to avoid the LMC). Both maps will enable unique measurements of spatial fluctuations in the extragalactic background light (EBL) which will lead to new insights into the origin and history of galaxy formation.
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SPHEREx will be a game changer in resolving long-standing questions about the amount and evolution of key biogenic molecules (
H 2 O
, CO,
CO 2
, and
CH 3 OH
) throughout all phases of star and planetary formation.
Learn More

The Origin of the Universe

One way to test the theory of inflation is to measure the imprint of inflationary ripples on the large-scale structure (LSS) of galaxies. SPHEREx will probe the statistical distribution of inflationary ripples by measuring the large-scale 3D distribution of galaxies.

Learn More

The Origin and History of Galaxies

The SPHEREx observing strategy naturally generates a wide+deep map at each ecliptic pole (the southern map will be shifted to avoid the LMC). Both maps will enable unique measurements of spatial fluctuations in the extragalactic background light (EBL) which will lead to new insights into the origin and history of galaxy formation.

Learn More

The Origin of Water in Planetary Systems

SPHEREx will be a game changer in resolving long-standing questions about the amount and evolution of key biogenic molecules (H2O, CO, CO2, and CH3OH) throughout all phases of star and planetary formation.

Learn More

The First All-Sky Spectral Survey

SPHEREx will observe the entire sky multiple times during its planned two-year mission. Its overlapping scan strategy will obtain a minimum of four 0.75--5.0 micron spectra at every point along the ecliptic, with much greater redundancy in the deep survey fields at the North and South ecliptic poles. SPHEREx will achieve point source sensitivities magnitudes deeper than 2MASS in every SPHEREx spectral element.
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Instrument

SPHEREx implements a simple and robust design that maximizes spectral throughput and efficiency. SPHEREx achieves this with no moving parts except for one-time deployments of a sunshield and aperture cover.
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Instrument

SPHEREx implements a simple and robust design that maximizes spectral throughput and efficiency. SPHEREx achieves this with no moving parts except for one-time deployments of a sunshield and aperture cover.
Learn More