Roman could help on some of space’s biggest questions

Despite the rapid acceleration in our understanding of the universe in recent decades, big questions still abound: What is dark matter? What is dark energy and what causes it? How many planets exist beyond our solar system and where are they?

That’s why we at the Adler Planetarium are closely watching the upcoming launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled for Aug. 30 — and we think you should, too.

The telescope is named for a pioneering scientist, Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, who was NASA’s first Chief of Astronomy in the 1960s and 1970s. Dr. Roman championed such groundbreaking projects as the Hubble Space Telescope. Her tireless efforts made space-based telescopes a reality.

Her namesake telescope is expected to discover tens of thousands of new planets around other stars, enable observations of hundreds of millions of galaxies near and far, and scan billions of stars in our own Milky Way galaxy in all stages of their lifetimes.

Here in Chicago, the Adler Planetarium serves as a community resource to explore these exact questions, including what lies beyond our solar system in our Other Worlds exhibit. As the Roman telescope’s discoveries are made, we will periodically update our Universe Explained Live show with new information and imagery.

And our Telescopes: Through the Looking Glass gallery space highlights the 400-year history of humans developing new tools to better view and understand the universe. The Roman telescope is just the latest chapter in that exciting story, a five-year mission that could open the door to scientific discoveries for years to come.

Michelle Nichols, Aurora