'Mapping the stars': NASA unveils Roman Telescope’s celestial vision (Check blueprint)
Written By Tarun Mishra
Published: Apr 24, 2025, 23:17 IST | Updated: Apr 24, 2025, 23:17 IST
The Roman Telescope will carry out wide and deep sky surveys to study the impact of dark energy and dark matter on cosmic evolution, as well as observe exoplanetary systems beyond the solar system. These surveys are based on proposals from over 1,000 scientists across more than 350 institutions.
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NASA has disclosed the design for three core surveys to be conducted by the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope following its launch. These surveys are expected to address major questions in astrophysics over the mission’s five-year primary phase.
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The Roman Telescope will carry out wide and deep sky surveys to study the impact of dark energy and dark matter on cosmic evolution, as well as observe exoplanetary systems beyond the solar system. These surveys are based on proposals from over 1,000 scientists across more than 350 institutions.
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Covering over 5,000 square degrees of the sky, this survey will collect imaging and spectroscopic data to examine the distribution and shape of galaxies. The data will help scientists investigate cosmic expansion and the role of dark matter in shaping galactic structures.
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The High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey will observe the same region of sky repeatedly to detect changes over time. It aims to find thousands of type Ia supernovae, track black hole formation, and monitor other time-variable celestial phenomena.
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Focusing on six fields near the galactic core, the Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey will use microlensing to detect planets, stellar remnants, and rogue objects. The observations will also provide insight into the internal activity of stars, including oscillations known as starquakes.
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All collected data from Roman’s core surveys will be released to the public as soon as it is processed. Additional survey time will be allocated to community-proposed projects, allowing further contributions from the global scientific community.
