Roman Space Telescope to Map 20 Billion Stars and Unlock the Dusty Secrets of the Milky Way

Ten key theses in English

Джерело: phys.org

1. Roman’s mission focus – NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will explore the Milky Way’s interstellar medium—gas and dust between stars—through its Galactic Plane Survey.
2. Unprecedented mapping – The survey will chart ~20 billion stars, quadrupling the number currently mapped, to build the most detailed 3D dust maps of our galaxy.
3. Peering through cosmic fog – Using infrared light, Roman can see through dust clouds that normally scatter starlight, revealing structures hidden from visible-light telescopes.
4. Decoding dust effects – By analyzing how starlight is dimmed and reddened, scientists will deduce dust grain sizes, composition, and distribution.
5. 3D modeling of the Milky Way – Roman’s data will help create the most accurate, data-driven model of the Milky Way’s spiral arms, stellar bar, and overall structure.
6. Star and planet formation insights – The interstellar medium, observed by Roman, fuels star birth and supplies the raw materials that eventually form planets.
7. Galactic life cycle perspective – Dust recycling—from dying stars to new stellar nurseries—will be mapped, showing how the Milky Way continually regenerates itself.
8. Spiral arm mysteries – Roman’s observations will test theories about whether spiral density waves trigger star formation or simply organize galactic material.
9. Open science legacy – Roman’s massive data sets will be publicly available through NASA archives, ensuring discoveries for decades and even future generations.
10. Timeline – The mission is scheduled to launch by May 2027, with a possible earlier launch window in fall 2026.