NASA's new SPHEREx space telescope to launch in February — it can do what the JWST can't

SPHEREx will launch in late February aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The probe will map the universe while detecting two kinds of cosmic light: optical and infrared.

Unlike the James Webb Space Telescope , it is an all-sky survey.

The mission will take two years to map the entire sky as seen from Earth .

Scientists want to see if there are any icy organics floating around our solar system.

SPHEREx will capture three -dimensional views of hundreds of millions of galaxies to further our understanding of cosmic inflation.

The spacecraft weighs about 1,100 pounds , so a little less than a grand piano, and uses about 270-300 watts of power.

The James Webb Space Telescope is also in a location designed to shield it from the sun's warmth at all times.

She graduated from New York University in 2018 with a B.A. in philosophy, physics and chemistry. She spends too much time playing online chess. Her favorite planet is Earth . You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. How to see Jupiter 'kiss' the moon tonight — before Mars breaks them up this weekend 'Bull's-eye!' Hubble telescope spots record-shattering 9 -ring galaxy — and the cosmic 'dart' that smashed through its center.