Science & Technology Journalist of the Year: Winner

Ever looked up at the sky at night, just wondering how we got here? Pondering the endless expansion of the place we call home and its questionable origin? 

What if I were to tell you that a new study published in the Astrophysical journal could decide on whether your questions will be answered? The high latitude spectroscopic survey on the Nancy Grace Roman telescope focuses on spectroscopy (the study of how matter interacts with the portions of the electromagnetic spectrum) and will examine the telescope’s power in detail to see if it can answer our questions. Specifically the question of will the universe tear itself apart in the big rip. 

“Our study forecasts the science Roman’s spectroscopy survey will enable and shows how various adjustments could optimise its design,” says lead author Yun Wang, a senior research scientist at the California institute of technology. 

The telescope was renamed in honour of NASA’s first chief of astronomy, Nancy Grace Roman, whose diligent work on the Hubble mission paved the way for a new generation of astrophysics and earnt her the first female executive position at NASA. Roman was a pioneer and thoroughly deserves to be remembered as a prominent woman in STEM. The telescope, which launches no later than 2027, will be able to capture images with the same resolution as the Hubble telescope but with a field of view 100 times larger! This will allow us to see more of our universe in less time and implement a fresh approach to exoplanet science as well as being able to carry out the survey. 

The Roman mission intends on investigating the theory of dark energy. This is a mysterious energy that drives the universe to expand at an increasing rate because without it, all the gravity of the universe would slow down the expansion. So what is dark energy, what are its origins? The Roman telescope can take 3D images of the universe and can reach ancient galaxies never seen before, meaning that the survey may be able to tell us about our own future as well as our past and if the universe will keep expanding at faster rates resulting in the big rip. 

But what does this have to do with us? With children? 

Our generation holds the next big thinkers. We are going to be the people that take this research forward as the next wave astronomers, physicists and philosophers. Maybe one day we will look at the sky and have the answers. It is not just a fantasy anymore, it is solid reality. We are on the precipice of discovering where we came from and where we’re heading. 

But only the future knows.