Next-Gen 'Roman' Space Telescope to Map Universe 1,000 Times Faster Than Hubble

pcmag.com:

Move over, James Webb Space Telescope: NASA's prepping a new interstellar instrument capable of providing a glimpse into the universe's largest structures.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch by May 2027, will map the universe up to 1,000 times faster than Hubble. It will "turn back the cosmic clock, unveiling the evolving universe in ways that have never been possible before," the space agency says.

Named after former NASA Chief of Astronomy Nancy Grace Roman (not the TV journalist), the telescope rapidly surveys enormous swaths of space, providing Earth-bound scientists a glimpse into the universe's largest structures.

Boasting a field of view two orders of magnitude larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, and an angular resolution of matching quality, Roman is expected to redefine deep-field galaxy surveys.

Hubble and its successor, James Webb, are optimized for studying astronomical objects in depth and up close, "so they're like looking at the universe through pinholes," according to(Opens in a new window) study lead(Opens in a new window) Aaron Yung, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "To solve cosmic mysteries on the biggest scales, we need a space telescope that can provide a far larger view. That's exactly what Roman is designed to do."

Combined with Hubble's broader wavelength coverage and Webb's detailed observations, scientists say the upcoming scope will provide a more comprehensive view of the universe by simulating tens of millions of galaxies—something that could take years using conventional methods—in less than a day.

"When Roman launches and begins delivering real data, scientists can compare it to a range of such simulations, putting their models