What's Happening?
NASA's SUPERBACK project aims to enhance the Roman Space Telescope's observations by developing an empirically motivated background model. This initiative focuses on accurately accounting for large-scale
diffuse foregrounds, such as Zodiacal Light and Diffuse Galactic Light, which are critical for analyzing distant galaxies. The project will improve forecasting of these backgrounds and develop a pipeline to model them in Roman's Wide Field Imager (WFI) images. By doing so, SUPERBACK will enhance the quality of Roman's extragalactic observations and enable precise measurements of cosmic optical and near-IR backgrounds, benefiting a wide range of scientific research from cosmology to Solar System science.
Why It's Important?
The SUPERBACK project is crucial for maximizing the scientific potential of the Roman Space Telescope. By improving background subtraction in WFI images, the project will significantly enhance the telescope's ability to conduct low surface brightness science beyond the Milky Way. This includes robust measurements of Intercluster and Intrahalo light, as well as Ultra Diffuse Galaxies. Accurate modeling of diffuse backgrounds will also provide valuable insights into the structure and scattering properties of dust in our Solar System. Overall, SUPERBACK represents a vital component of the Roman ecosystem, preparing astronomers for a wide range of scientific exploration with this powerful telescope.
