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The Sun is Changing and We Don’t Know Why
The Sun has a heartbeat. Every eleven years it swells with magnetic fury, hurling solar flares and charged particles into space, sparking auroral displays and threatening power grids, all before quietening down again. We've tracked this rhythm for centuries. But now, scientists listening to sound waves deep inside our local star have found something deeply unexpected, that heartbeat is changing. And nobody yet knows what it means.
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets Last Look
Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, have completed their final inspection of a key element for the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: the primary mirror. This 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) mirror will collect and focus light from cosmic objects near and far, helping Roman capture stunning panoramas of space.
The primary mirror for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has passed its final inspection. On May 20 and 21, engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., confirmed that no specks fell onto the mirrors during testing and that there are no changes in the mirror path and alignment. With this milestone complete, the primary mirror is ready for its next view: space.NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
“The Roman engineering team laid eyes on the telescope for the final time before it, in turn, becomes the eyes of humanity, revealing the wonders of the cosmos,” said J. Scott Smith, the Roman telescope manager at NASA Goddard. “It is a profoundly humbling moment to witness the culmination of hard work from so many dedicated individuals, teams, and partner organizations, including L3Harris.”
On May 20, engineers turned the Roman observatory onto its side and deployed the “hood” that will be stowed for launch to protect the mirror. Then the team conducted a meticulous visual inspection to ensure no specks fell onto the mirrors during testing and confirm there are no changes in the mirror path and alignment.
“We developed a method of using a high-resolution camera equipped with a very powerful zoom lens to do a multi-purpose inspection,” said Bente Eegholm, optics lead for Roman’s Optical Telescope Assembly at NASA Goddard. “The mirror passed with flying colors, keeping the mission on track for an early September launch.”
Technicians stow Roman’s deployable aperture cover, a large sunshade designed to keep unwanted light out of the telescope.NASA/Sydney Rohde
The team carefully observed the optics along the path light will follow to the Wide Field Instrument detector array and confirmed it remains in proper alignment following the observatory shake test.
“In order to gather very sensitive measurements of objects strewn throughout space, all of Roman’s components have to be ultraprecise,” Eegholm said. “The primary mirror certainly delivers on that precision.”
Roman’s primary mirror sports a layer of silver less than 400 nanometers thick — about 200 times thinner than a human hair. The silver coating was specifically chosen for Roman because of how well it reflects near-infrared light. By contrast, the Hubble Space Telescope’s mirror is coated with layers of aluminum and magnesium fluoride to optimize visible and ultraviolet light reflectivity. Likewise, the James Webb Space Telescope’s mirrors have a gold coating to suit its longer wavelength infrared observations.
The Roman mirror is so finely polished that the average bump on its surface is only 1.2 nanometers tall — more than twice as smooth as the mission requires. If the mirror were scaled up to Earth’s size, these bumps would be just a quarter of an inch high.
In this photo, which peers directly down the barrel of Roman’s telescope, the photographer’s camera is reflected in the primary mirror.NASA/Sydney Rohde
Since it’s made of a specialty ultralow-expansion glass, the mirror will resist flexing, which can happen to materials during temperature changes (like going from balmy Earth conditions to the deep freeze of space). This preserves Roman’s image quality, because if the primary mirror changed shape, it would distort the images from the telescope.
“We’re really proud of the amazing optical system we’ve delivered for the Roman mission alongside our partners at L3Harris,” said Josh Abel, lead Optical Telescope Assembly systems engineer at NASA Goddard. “Now that it’s assembled, aligned, and all shined up, we’re ready to go.”
Now, the Roman team is preparing to ship the observatory to the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the coming weeks. NASA expects the mission to begin returning incredible cosmic vistas within several months after launch.
To learn more about NASA’s Roman mission, visit:
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, and scientists from various research institutions.
Media contact:
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-1940
Ashley is the lead science writer for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Share Details Last Updated May 30, 2026 EditorAshley BalzerContactAshley Balzerashley.m.balzer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Explore More 6 min read NASA’s Roman Mission Preps to Unveil New Populations of Faraway Worlds Article 4 days ago 4 min read NASA’s Roman Observatory Passes Final Major Prelaunch Tests Article 2 months ago 7 min read NASA Announces Plan to Map Milky Way With Roman Space Telescope Article 6 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets Last Look
Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, have completed their final inspection of a key element for the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: the primary mirror. This 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) mirror will collect and focus light from cosmic objects near and far, helping Roman capture stunning panoramas of space.
The primary mirror for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has passed its final inspection. On May 20 and 21, engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., confirmed that no specks fell onto the mirrors during testing and that there are no changes in the mirror path and alignment. With this milestone complete, the primary mirror is ready for its next view: space.NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
“The Roman engineering team laid eyes on the telescope for the final time before it, in turn, becomes the eyes of humanity, revealing the wonders of the cosmos,” said J. Scott Smith, the Roman telescope manager at NASA Goddard. “It is a profoundly humbling moment to witness the culmination of hard work from so many dedicated individuals, teams, and partner organizations, including L3Harris.”
On May 20, engineers turned the Roman observatory onto its side and deployed the “hood” that will be stowed for launch to protect the mirror. Then the team conducted a meticulous visual inspection to ensure no specks fell onto the mirrors during testing and confirm there are no changes in the mirror path and alignment.
“We developed a method of using a high-resolution camera equipped with a very powerful zoom lens to do a multi-purpose inspection,” said Bente Eegholm, optics lead for Roman’s Optical Telescope Assembly at NASA Goddard. “The mirror passed with flying colors, keeping the mission on track for an early September launch.”
Technicians stow Roman’s deployable aperture cover, a large sunshade designed to keep unwanted light out of the telescope.NASA/Sydney RohdeThe team carefully observed the optics along the path light will follow to the Wide Field Instrument detector array and confirmed it remains in proper alignment following the observatory shake test.
“In order to gather very sensitive measurements of objects strewn throughout space, all of Roman’s components have to be ultraprecise,” Eegholm said. “The primary mirror certainly delivers on that precision.”
Roman’s primary mirror sports a layer of silver less than 400 nanometers thick — about 200 times thinner than a human hair. The silver coating was specifically chosen for Roman because of how well it reflects near-infrared light. By contrast, the Hubble Space Telescope’s mirror is coated with layers of aluminum and magnesium fluoride to optimize visible and ultraviolet light reflectivity. Likewise, the James Webb Space Telescope’s mirrors have a gold coating to suit its longer wavelength infrared observations.
The Roman mirror is so finely polished that the average bump on its surface is only 1.2 nanometers tall — more than twice as smooth as the mission requires. If the mirror were scaled up to Earth’s size, these bumps would be just a quarter of an inch high.
In this photo, which peers directly down the barrel of Roman’s telescope, the photographer’s camera is reflected in the primary mirror.NASA/Sydney RohdeSince it’s made of a specialty ultralow-expansion glass, the mirror will resist flexing, which can happen to materials during temperature changes (like going from balmy Earth conditions to the deep freeze of space). This preserves Roman’s image quality, because if the primary mirror changed shape, it would distort the images from the telescope.
“We’re really proud of the amazing optical system we’ve delivered for the Roman mission alongside our partners at L3Harris,” said Josh Abel, lead Optical Telescope Assembly systems engineer at NASA Goddard. “Now that it’s assembled, aligned, and all shined up, we’re ready to go.”
Now, the Roman team is preparing to ship the observatory to the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the coming weeks. NASA expects the mission to begin returning incredible cosmic vistas within several months after launch.
To learn more about NASA’s Roman mission, visit:
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, and scientists from various research institutions.
Media contact:
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-1940
Ashley is the lead science writer for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Share Details Last Updated May 30, 2026 EditorAshley BalzerContactAshley Balzerashley.m.balzer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Explore More 6 min read NASA’s Roman Mission Preps to Unveil New Populations of Faraway Worlds Article 4 days ago 4 min read NASA’s Roman Observatory Passes Final Major Prelaunch Tests Article 2 months ago 7 min read NASA Announces Plan to Map Milky Way With Roman Space Telescope Article 6 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
Hubble Spies Faint Irregular Galaxy
Hubble Spies Faint Irregular Galaxy
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image released on May 27, 2026, features the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 490-017, roughly 12,000 light-years in diameter and some 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. The galaxy’s low surface brightness makes it appear as a faint, starry swarm behind brighter foreground stars that are easily recognized by their diffraction spikes. Numerous red, orange, and beige dots are distant galaxies peppering the black background, many exhibiting distinct spiral structure.
The data in this image of ESO 490-017 was part of a Hubble observing program that looked at the movement of galaxies and galaxy clusters through space. Matter in the universe is distributed unevenly, and the gravitational influence of that matter drives the “cosmic flow” or movement of large-scale structures in the universe.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, R. Tully (University of Hawaii); Image Processing: G. Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Hubble Spies Faint Irregular Galaxy
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image released on May 27, 2026, features the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 490-017, roughly 12,000 light-years in diameter and some 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. The galaxy’s low surface brightness makes it appear as a faint, starry swarm behind brighter foreground stars that are easily recognized by their diffraction spikes. Numerous red, orange, and beige dots are distant galaxies peppering the black background, many exhibiting distinct spiral structure.
The data in this image of ESO 490-017 was part of a Hubble observing program that looked at the movement of galaxies and galaxy clusters through space. Matter in the universe is distributed unevenly, and the gravitational influence of that matter drives the “cosmic flow” or movement of large-scale structures in the universe.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, R. Tully (University of Hawaii); Image Processing: G. Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Evidence of Water Plumes from Jupiter's Moon Europa Vanishes
Reanalysis shows that the Hubble Space Telescope's detection of water vapor escaping from Jupiter’s moon Europa might have been a glitch.
The post Evidence of Water Plumes from Jupiter's Moon Europa Vanishes appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Aim high but don't shoot for the moon, mathematicians advise
Aim high but don't shoot for the moon, mathematicians advise
This Month at ESA: May 2026
What did space deliver for Europe this month? From asteroid flybys to Mars landing tests, new discoveries from Webb and Hubble, and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot capturing shooting stars from orbit, here’s your monthly roundup from the European Space Agency.
This month also saw ESA team up with DON’T NOD for Aphelion, a sci-fi adventure inspired by real space science and exploration.
Retatrutide results spark questions about how rapid weight loss affects the body
New-generation GLP-1 drugs, such as retatrutide, are achieving higher rates of weight loss. How much weight is too much and too fast to lose?
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket explodes in massive fireball, imperiling NASA moon missions
The latest flight of the New Glenn rocket was meant to prepare Blue Origin for a series of NASA-funded lunar voyages. Instead it ended before it began
Week in images: 25-29 May 2026
Week in images: 25-29 May 2026
Discover our week through the lens
Horror video game gets its creepiness from a quantum computer
Horror video game gets its creepiness from a quantum computer
Europe’s deadly spring heat wave is obliterating temperature records
Unseasonably hot weather in Europe has already claimed at least 18 lives. And history shows more are likely on the way
ESA Selects Two New Scout-Class Missions
When it comes to understanding Earth and our changing environment, space is the place. Not only does it give us an overall holistic view of the planet below, but satellite-based imagery can transcend national boundaries and give us an understanding of key changes that often go unseen at ground level. Now, the European Space Agency (ESA) has chosen two new missions to address key questions in Earth environmental science: Hibidis and SOVA-S.