NASA Radio Telescope on Moon's Far Side Could Explore Dark Ages of Universe
A NASA radio telescope on the far side of the Moon could help scientists peer into the ancient past of the universe, according to a new study.
The telescope, called the Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment-Night (LuSEE-Night), is a pathfinder mission that is scheduled to launch in 2025. It will be the first radio telescope to be placed on the far side of the Moon, which is shielded from radio interference from Earth.
LuSEE-Night will observe the universe at low frequencies, which are reflected by the Earth's ionosphere and cannot be observed from ground-based telescopes. This will allow scientists to study the universe during the Dark Ages, a period of time between about 400,000 and 400 million years after the Big Bang, when the first stars and galaxies were beginning to form.
"LuSEE-Night will be a unique and powerful tool for studying the Dark Ages of the universe," said Loura Hall, a scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the study. "It will allow us to see the universe in a way that has never been possible before."
In addition to studying the Dark Ages, LuSEE-Night will also be used to study other topics in astrophysics, such as the formation of galaxies and the physics of black holes.
"LuSEE-Night is a pathfinder mission that will pave the way for future, larger radio telescopes on the Moon," Hall said. "These telescopes could revolutionize our understanding of the universe."
Here are some specific ways that a NASA radio telescope on the Moon's far side could explore the Dark Ages of the universe:
Study the first stars and galaxies: LuSEE-Night could observe the first stars and galaxies as they were forming in the early universe. This would help scientists to understand how these objects formed and evolved.
Search for dark matter and dark energy: LuSEE-Night could search for dark matter and dark energy, two mysterious substances that make up most of the universe.
Study the cosmic microwave background: LuSEE-Night could study the cosmic microwave background, the faint afterglow of the Big Bang. This would help scientists to learn more about the early universe and the laws of physics that govern it.
Overall, a NASA radio telescope on the Moon's far side would be a powerful tool for studying the Dark Ages of the universe and other important topics in astrophysics.
