Frontiers Lecture: SPHEREx

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

7 pm

NASA's SPHEREx telescope, seen inside its payload fairing. A large white conical shape appears perched atop the telescope's base.
NASA/BAE Systems/Benjamin Fry

The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission launched in early 2025 with the goal of collecting data on more than 450 million galaxies and other objects to better understand the secrets of the universe. 

In this Frontiers Lecture, get a behind-the-scenes look at SPHEREx with astronomer Davy Kirkpatrick, lead research scientist at IPAC, part of the California Institute of Technology. You’ll learn more about the two-year mission’s objective to map the universe like never before, providing a big-picture view that will illuminate the origins of our universe, galaxies within it, and life’s key ingredients in our own galaxy. 

The SPHEREx mission will also provide an all-sky spectral survey in both optical and near-infrared light. Although not visible to the human eye, these wavelengths will offer powerful insights into burning cosmic questions.  Join us to learn about the SPHEREx Observatory, and explore some of its fascinating discoveries so far.  

The Museum’s Frontiers Lecture series explores cutting-edge astrophysics topics. This program is recommended for ages 16+.  

This program utilizes OpenSpace software supported by NASA under award No NNX16AB93A. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.