Skip Navigation
menu close modal
Resources

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

This illustration shows NASA's Roman mission in shades of blue. A multi-sided cylindrical body has an opening at its top. Exending from the opening are panels along the top half. A flat panel on the back represents the solar panel. Along the side of the body a few instruments are visible.
Credit: NASA
Published: December 20, 2022

An illustration of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The colors depicted in this illustration are for artistic purposes only.

ENLARGE

Explore the Universe

Related

An angled oval illustration of a supernova.
More
A large oval shape on an angled tilt with rounded waves around the edge, this graphic has a flower-like appearance. Smaller transparent circles with the same wavy edge are layered inward to create an inner starburst shape. The outer rings are a very yellow green color and they move inward into different light orange colors and finally to a center oval shape that is a dark blue and appears like a starburst because of the waved outlines that lay on top. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Supernova (Yellow)
An illustration of NASA's Swift observatory.
More
This illustration shows the Swift observatory in shades of blue. A multi-sided cylindrical body is flanked by two solar array "wings." The front face has a large squared-off half-circle instrument, two small cylindrical telescopes, and a shield along the top edge.
Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory
An illustration of NASA's COBE spacecraft.
More
COBE is illustrated in light and dark blues. With two wings made up of three rectangular solar arrays each, the spacecraft's main body is made up of a striped, multi-sided cylinder with an attached cone-shaped structure on top.
COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer)
An illustration of a blazar, or an active galactic nucleus that emits a powerful radiation jet. 
More
A graphic shows a diffused, dark purple ring that fades inward to a bright purple, a lighter purple, and eventually to a light blue gradient. At the center of the circular object is a small black circle from which a transparent beam is emitted, starting as a transparent blue and moving into green, yellow, orange and red.
Blazar
An illustration of a pulsar with asymmetric magnetic field lines.
More
This object resembles an open clamshell with a pearl in the center and with one half significantly larger than the other. The two halves of the shape have different sizes of curved stripes that start as a dark blue on the outside and move inward towards the center, getting brighter and lighter. In the center is a bright white circle with transparent yellow beams emerging from its sides.
Pulsar (Version Two)
An illustration of a planetary nebula.
More
In the background is a hazy pink and purple circle, with dark, transparent dark purple around the edge and lighter/brighter pinks leading inward. In front of the big circle is a purple object, shaped like a minimal, twisty lemon. Inside of this shape is a central, light yellow, cloudy circle with a bright white spot in the middle. All within the lemon-shaped object, the white spot is surrounded by a pink oblong oval shape which is overlapped by two large, pink circular shapes and two small, pink circular shapes. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Planetary Nebula (Version One, Pink)
An illustration of a quasar.
More
A graphic shows a tilted disc in the center. A dark, diffuse purple ring lines its outer edge. The dark purple fades inward to a bright purple, light blue, and then lighter until it reaches the center where there is a black spot. From both the top and bottom of the disk's center, an icy light blue beam shoots out.
Quasar
An illustration of the ASCA spacecraft, developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in Japan.
More
A graphic of ASCA is shown in light and dark shades of blue. The body of the spacecraft is bottle shaped, and an array of solar panels crosses on top of the widest part.
ASCA (Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics)
An illustration of NASA's RXTE satellite.
More
This illustration shows NASA's RXTE satellite in shades of blue. The satellite's main body is shaped like a rectangular box with two solar array "wings," one on either side.
RXTE (Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer)
An illustration showing a face-on view of a black hole.
More
A graphic shows a dark but diffuse purple ring that is centered in the image. The dark purple fades into a bright purple, then a light blue that fades lighter towards the center where there is a bold, black circle.
Black Hole
An illustration showing the side of a purple spiral galaxy.
More
A horizontal oval is outlined by a diffuse, bright purple surrounding a darker purple outline which fades through lighter and brighter purple colors as it moves inward. The center of the shape is a hazy yellow circle. Cutting across the center of the image is a flattened disc outlined in light blue with a blueish-gray center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Spiral Galaxy (Side View, Purple)
An illustration of a pink and purple star-forming nebula.
More
A large, amorphous blob in a subtle tear drop shape has layers of transparent, hazy color overlapping, starting with a small blue haze around the edge and moving inward to a dark purple, a redder purple, and then a brighter purple. While white dots representing stars speckle the whole image, in the center of this shape is a bright white oval cloud with more pronounced and larger stars grouped together.
Star-forming Nebula (Version One, Purple)
An illustration of the EXCLAIM instrument.
More
An illustration in multiple shades of blue depicting EXCLAIM. The instrument is made up of a hollow cylindrical object next to a rectangular object. The whole instrument sits within a framework that extends upwards to a point, where it will attach to a balloon.
EXCLAIM (Experiment for Cryogenic Large-Aperture Intensity Mapping)
An illustration of a blue spiral galaxy.
More
A hazy range of blues with darker blue around the edge makes up the base of this swirling spiral of white lines twirling inward toward a white cloud with a white spot in the center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Spiral Galaxy (Blue)
An illustration showing the side of an irregular galaxy.
More
A very long, diffuse, vaguely oval-shaped blob has a hazy dark purple color around its edge and it gets progressively lighter moving inward toward a cloudy white center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Irregular Galaxy (Side View)
A horizontal oval illustration of a supernova.
More
A large horizontal oval shape with stripes of lighter and darker green moves inward to a lighter green oval with waved edges. In the center is a dark green oval that appears like a starburst because of the waved outlines that lay on top. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Supernova (Light Green)
An illustration showing the side of a blue spiral galaxy.
More
A horizontal oval is outlined by diffused, dark blue surrounding a brighter blue which fades to be lighter and brighter as it moves inward. The center of the shape is a hazy white circle. Cutting across the center of the image is a flattened disc outlined in dark blue with a light blue center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Spiral Galaxy (Side View, Blue)
 An illustration of ESA's Euclid spacecraft.
More
An illustration in multiple shades of blue depicting Euclid. The spacecraft has a cylindrical body with an open top and a flat, square base as well as a flat panel along its back.
Euclid
An illustration of the COSI spacecraft.
More
COSI is illustrated in light and dark blues. The spacecraft has a hexagonal body topped with a box with various attachments. One solar panel extends to the left side of the satellite’s body.
COSI (Compton Spectrometer and Imager)
An illustration of NASA's WISE spacecraft.
More
This illustration of NASA's WISE mission shows the spacecraft in shades of blue. WISE has a short, multi-sided cylindrical main body that connects to a thinner and longer open cylindrical piece. The craft's main body is attached to a large, flat panel on top.
WISE/NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared survey Explorer)
An illustration of the HaloSat spacecraft.
More
This HaloSat illustration shows the space telescope in shades of blue. The body of the spacecraft is a rectangle with three circles along the long, narrow side. One solar panel extends from the spacecraft body.
HaloSat
An illustration of NASA's Fermi spacecraft.
More
Fermi is illustrated in multiple shades of blue. With two "wings" coming out of its sides, each with three panels of solar arrays, the main body of the spacecraft is box-shaped. It has a main body with one open side with small components visible within and a smaller, darker box on top.
Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
An illustration of a short gamma-ray burst caused by merging neutron stars.
More
At the center of this graphic of a short gamma-ray burst is a black dot representing a black hole. A cloud of debris, represented as a yellow-ish filled-in figure eight is centered on the black hole and tilted 45 degrees to the right. A pair of white-ish, cone-shaped jets are aligned with the figure eight and extend above and below the black holes. Additional debris is represented as a blue oval and a filled-in eternity symbol, both centered on the black hole and tilted 45 degrees to the left.
Short Gamma-Ray Burst From Merging Neutron Stars
An illustration showing an irregular galaxy.
More
An amorphous, bean-shaped diffuse purple blob that's darker around the rim with a light, whitish center. White dots representing stars speckle the image.
Irregular Galaxy (Version Three)
An illustration of NASA's GALEX spacecraft.
More
GALEX is illustrated in multiple shades of blue. The spacecraft body is made up of a hexagonal object topped by a cylindrical object. Solar panels extend to either side.
GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Explorer)

Explore the Universe

Related News

Researchers observing with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have pinpointed silicate cloud features in a distant planet’s atmosphere.
More
NASA's Webb Spots Swirling, Gritty Clouds on Remote Planet
NASA's Webb Spots Swirling, Gritty Clouds on Remote Planet
UGCA 307 hangs against an irregular backdrop of distant galaxies in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
More
Hubble Sees a Diminutive Dwarf Galaxy
Hubble Sees a Diminutive Dwarf Galaxy
The Large Area Telescope aboard NASA’s Fermi satellite can give us a glimpse of an otherwise invisible cosmic light show.
More
NASA's Fermi Captures Dynamic Gamma-Ray Sky in New Animation
NASA's Fermi Captures Dynamic Gamma-Ray Sky in New Animation
The rare sight of a Wolf-Rayet star was one of the first observations made by NASA’s Webb in June 2022.
More
NASA's Webb Telescope Captures Rarely Seen Prelude to Supernova
NASA's Webb Telescope Captures Rarely Seen Prelude to Supernova
The irregular spiral galaxy NGC 5486 hangs against a background of dim, distant galaxies in this Hubble image.
More
Hubble Spots a Star-Forming Spiral
Hubble Spots a Star-Forming Spiral
This image features a galaxy called 3C 297 that is lonelier than expected after it likely pulled in and absorbed its former companion galaxies.
More
Chandra Helps Astronomers Discover a Surprisingly Lonely Galaxy
Chandra Helps Astronomers Discover a Surprisingly Lonely Galaxy
Scientists created a gargantuan synthetic survey showing what we can expect from the Roman Space Telescope’s future observations.
More
Millions of Galaxies Emerge in New Simulated Images From NASA's Roman
Millions of Galaxies Emerge in New Simulated Images From NASA's Roman
A “jellyfish galaxy” with trailing tentacles of stars hangs in inky blackness in this Hubble image.
More
Hubble Peers at a Galactic Seascape
Hubble Peers at a Galactic Seascape
A new simulation shows how NASA’s Roman Space Telescope will unveil the evolving universe in ways that have never been possible before.
More
How NASA's Roman Space Telescope Will Rewind the Universe
How NASA's Roman Space Telescope Will Rewind the Universe
NASA's Hubble captured photos of asteroid Dimorphos when it was deliberately hit by a spacecraft called DART in September 2022.
More
Hubble Captures Movie of DART Asteroid Impact Debris
Hubble Captures Movie of DART Asteroid Impact Debris
A massive galaxy cluster in the constellation Cetus dominates the center of this Hubble image.
More
Hubble Observes Cosmic Contortions
Hubble Observes Cosmic Contortions
A new study using Chandra X-ray Observatory has tracked two pairs of supermassive black holes in dwarf galaxies.
More
NASA's Chandra Discovers Giant Black Holes on Collision Course
NASA's Chandra Discovers Giant Black Holes on Collision Course
NASA will launch Israel’s first space telescope, the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite (ULTRASAT).
More
NASA to Launch Israel's First Space Telescope
NASA to Launch Israel's First Space Telescope
A spectacular trio of merging galaxies in the constellation Boötes takes center stage in this Hubble image.
More
Hubble Views a Merging Galactic Trio
Hubble Views a Merging Galactic Trio
Astronomers revealed a deep field image from NASA’s Webb featuring never-before-seen details in a region of space known as Pandora’s Cluster.
More
NASA's Webb Uncovers New Details in Pandora's Cluster
NASA's Webb Uncovers New Details in Pandora's Cluster
New Hubble images of Saturn herald the start of the planet's "spoke season," when enigmatic features appear across its rings.
More
Hubble Captures the Start of a New Spoke Season at Saturn
Hubble Captures the Start of a New Spoke Season at Saturn
Some of the hottest spots in the Sun’s atmosphere appear in the telescope’s X-ray view.
More
NASA's NuSTAR Telescope Reveals Hidden Light Shows on the Sun
NASA's NuSTAR Telescope Reveals Hidden Light Shows on the Sun
Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center finished testing the high-gain antenna for the Roman Space Telescope.
More
High-Gain Antenna for NASA's Roman Mission Clears Environmental Tests
High-Gain Antenna for NASA's Roman Mission Clears Environmental Tests
An asteroid roughly the size of Rome’s Colosseum has been detected by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
More
Webb Detects Extremely Small Main Belt Asteroid
Webb Detects Extremely Small Main Belt Asteroid
A snapshot of the Tarantula Nebula is featured in this image from Hubble.
More
Hubble's New View of the Tarantula Nebula
Hubble's New View of the Tarantula Nebula
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble have for the first time directly measured the mass of a single, isolated white dwarf.
More
For the First Time Hubble Directly Measures Mass of a Lone White Dwarf
For the First Time Hubble Directly Measures Mass of a Lone White Dwarf
The bright variable star V 372 Orionis takes center stage in this Hubble image.
More
Hubble Views a Stellar Duo in Orion Nebula
Hubble Views a Stellar Duo in Orion Nebula
NASA’s Webb team will receive the 2023 John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration, a top award from the Space Foundation.
More
NASA's Webb Telescope Receives Top Space Foundation Award
NASA's Webb Telescope Receives Top Space Foundation Award
Astronomers used NASA’s Webb to obtain an inventory of the deepest, coldest ices measured to date in a molecular cloud.
More
Webb Unveils Dark Side of Pre-stellar Ice Chemistry
Webb Unveils Dark Side of Pre-stellar Ice Chemistry
Objects scattered across this image from Hubble include galaxies near and far, Milky Way stars, and a solar system asteroid.
More
Hubble Captures Cosmic Treasure Trove
Hubble Captures Cosmic Treasure Trove