SPARCS CubeSat ‘First Light’ Images

What Happened

2 Min Read SPARCS CubeSat ‘First Light’ Images PIA26731 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal SPARCS CubeSat ‘First… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About Downloads SPARCS CubeSat ‘First Light’ Images PNG (1.73 MB) Description This pair of images shows stars observed by the SPARCS (Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat) space telescope simultaneously in the near-ultraviolet, left, and far-ultraviolet, right.

Why It Matters

These observations were recorded on Feb.

Key Details

6, 2026, three weeks after the cube satellite, or CubeSat, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on Jan.
The fact that one star is seen in the far-UV while multiple are seen in near-UV offers insights into the temperatures of these stars, with the one visible in both colors being the hottest.
Roughly the size of a large cereal box, SPARCS will monitor flares and sunspot activity on low-mass stars — objects only 30% to 50% the mass of the Sun.
These stars are among the most common in the Milky Way and host the majority of the galaxy’s roughly 50 billion habitable-zone terrestrial planets, which are rocky worlds close enough to their stars for temperatures that could allow liquid water and potentially support life.

Background Context

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Source: NASA – Original Link

Source: NASA