Roman Science - NASA Science

Suggested Searches

Explore the following topics of the science surveys and programs that the Roman Space Telescope will explore.

At the center of the image is a bright light-blue swirl of gas and dust that resembles a hurricane, which darkens is a dark grayish blue at the outer edges. From the "eye" of the hurricane-looking galaxy, thin bright blue jets of gas and dust shoot to the top and bottom of the image.

Dark Energy

The Roman Space Telescope measurements will help illuminate the dark energy puzzle. With a better understanding of dark energy, we will have a better sense of the past and future evolution of the universe.

The image is taken from the perspective of standing on a gray rocky surface, taking up the lower-left of the image. In the center is the host planet, with clouds of violet, light blue, and gray, with thin gray rings. In the upper-right, partially concealed by the rings, is the host star, mostly white with a slightly orangey glow.

Exoplanets

Completing a census of Exoplanets to help answer new questions about the potential for life in the universe. This census makes use of a technique that can find exoplanets down to a mass only a few times that of the Moon.

At left, a field of space with a dozen white foreground stars and a number of small, yellow background galaxies. An unremarkable area at center is outlined with a dashed red circle surrounded by a white box. Lines extend from the box to a pullout at right containing faint, grainy white light surrounded by a red circle labeled “Candidate dark galaxy – diffuse emission.” Four white dots are circled in blue and labeled globular clusters.

Dark Matter

Almost completely undetectable matter whose existence is implied to explain an excess of gravity measured in galaxies and galaxy clustersExoplanets

Several sky images from Spitzer and Hubble, illustrating what the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see, and highlighting infrared wavelengths.Credit: NASA/Spitzer/Hubble

Near Infrared

A vast astrophysics treasure trove allowing the exploration of everything from nearby stars to distant galaxies.

Baryon acoustic oscillations (still image from animation )

Baryon Acoustic Oscillations

Roman will detect vestiges of sound waves, called baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs), that once rippled through the primordial cosmic sea.

A new study analyzes several sites where dead stars once exploded. The explosions, called Type Ia supernovae, occurred within galaxies, six of which are shown in these images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

Type Ia Supernovae

Roman will see thousands of exploding stars called supernovae across vast stretches of time and space.

This simulated Roman deep field image, containing hundreds of thousands of galaxies, represents just 1.3 percent of the synthetic survey, which is itself just one percent of Roman's planned survey. The galaxies are color coded – redder ones are farther away and whiter ones are nearer. The simulation showcases Roman’s power to conduct large, deep surveys and study the universe statistically in ways that aren’t possible with current telescopes.
Credit: M. Troxel and Caltech-IPAC/R. Hurt

Weak Lensing

Roman will study how the universe’s web of matter has evolved by measuring how gravity subtly bends the path of light across vast distances.

General Observer Program

The Roman Space Telescope will offer a General Observer program that supports community-based observing programs.

Roman Core Survey Infographic

Observation Surveys

To fulfill the mission’s top-level science objectives, Roman will conduct three core community surveys.

FOR SCIENCE COMMUNITY

Roman Scientist Resources

The following material is intended specifically for the Roman Science Community.

The complete observatory in a clean room

NASA/Jolearra Tshiteya