2 Min Read SPARCS CubeSat ‘First Light’ Images PIA26731 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Photojournal Navigation - Science - Photojournal - SPARCS CubeSat ‘First… - Photojournal Home - Photojournal Search - Latest Content - Galleries - Feedback - RSS - About Downloads ## SPARCS CubeSat ‘First Light’ Images PNG (1.73 MB) ## Description This pair of images shows stars observed by the SPARCS (Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat) space telescope simultaneously in the near-ultraviolet, left, and far-ultraviolet, right. These observations were recorded on ## Feb. 6 , 2026, three weeks after the cube satellite, or CubeSat, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on ## Jan. 11 . The fact that one star is seen in the far-UV while multiple are seen in near-UV offers insights into the temperatures of these stars, with the one visible in both colors being the hottest. Roughly the size of a large cereal box, SPARCS will monitor flares and sunspot activity on low-mass stars — objects only 30% to 50% the mass of the Sun.…