General Physics Colloquium, Professor Howard Hui, Caltech

Title:  SPHEREx First Light and Early Instrument Performance

Host:  Abby Crites

Abstract:  Launched in March 2025, SPHEREx is a NASA explorer mission conducting the first full-sky near-infrared spectral survey from 0.75 to 5 µm (R ~40–135). Its science goals include: (1) constraining inflation by mapping large-scale galaxy distribution; (2) probing galaxy evolution via spatial fluctuations; and (3) tracing biogenic ices in molecular clouds and protoplanetary disks. With 102 spectral channels per 6.2″ pixel, SPHEREx provides a powerful legacy dataset for diverse astrophysical studies. This talk will cover SPHEREx’s science goals, instrument performance, and highlights from in-orbit commissioning, including first-light images and early calibration data.