Scientists say an upcoming space telescope may be able to identify atmospheric optical effects, similar to rainbows, on planets orbiting other stars.
NASA has given the go-ahead to its PRIMA infrared observatory, which will reuse spare hardware from the James Webb Space Telescope program to deliver major science at a reduced cost.
According to a report by Ars Technica, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope carries enough propellant to operate for 22 years, twice as long as NASA had originally planned, and is the first NASA observatory built with in-space refueling capability.
The new observatory, designed to hunt for thousands of exoplanets and probe dark matter and dark energy, has recorded its first cosmic images, according to a report by Scientific American.