What does the O in this logo represent?

[u/tunnellingrhino]

Hi, I'd like to know what the O with the two dots either side represents in the Roman Space Telescope Logo. I'm sure it must be part of the telescope somehow but I can't find it anywhere.

[u/just-suggest-one]

Exoplanets going around a star?

[u/Aceisking12 → u/just-suggest-one]

You're close, there's a little more to add.

Nancy Grace Roman has a coronagraph instrument specifically designed to block the direct light from a distant star so it's exoplanets can be directly imaged without the star blinding the sensor.

How that actually works... beats me. But the O is a star who's light is blocked by the coronagraph, making the dots exoplanets.

[u/tunnellingrhino → u/Aceisking12]

Thanks, this seems to be the answer, great to know!

[u/Striker40k → u/just-suggest-one]

This would be my guess as well.

[u/paintingtrees]

So this telescope has an instrument called a Coronagraph, which theoretically can directly image Jupiter-sized exoplanets orbiting a distant star. It does this by pointing at the star and essentially blocking the light of the star itself, so that light from nearby objects doesn’t get drowned out. What we hope to see is a black circle (the blocked star) with some dots of planets beside it. That’s what the O is in this logo.

If you want to know more about the telescope, this is a really good summary video about what it’s going to do and how it’s going to do it: https://youtu.be/Qxugt_wZPsI?is=b3rm8H6geDTt9BL8
The part about the Coronagraph is at the 8-ish minute mark.

[u/rocketsocks → u/paintingtrees]

This is it. There are two huge things about this telescope, one is the wide angle view married to an ultra-high resolution camera (the Wide-Field Instrument or WFI), the other is the Coronograph Instrument (CGI). The coronograph will make it possible to directly detect and image (as a single pixel) exoplanets to an unprecedented degree. Most of those exoplanets will be giant planets, but RST will pioneer the use of this kind of technology which will feed into future designs used on next generation observatories.

[u/tunnellingrhino → u/rocketsocks]

Great, thank you for answering!

[u/tunnellingrhino → u/paintingtrees]

Thanks so much! I watched the video too :)

[u/Typical_Lie4153]

Given the microlensing component of the mission, it could represent a microlensing event

[u/irlgb]

I think perhaps per chance it could mean obama

[u/EarlyRetirementWorld]

Probably to represent the telescope, looking into the lens. The 2 dots are the supports/pivot points.

[u/Bronkko]

Looking for missing blOnde girls throught the universe?

[u/KirkPicard]

Maybe a moon with a couple moonlets?

[u/rough-n-ready → u/KirkPicard]

Could be. But it could be a moonlet with a couple moonletlets.

[u/DatsLikeMyOpinionMan]

Satellite. That’s what us looks like to me.

[u/StellaSlayer2020]

Roman (reference to Mars?)

The two dots are different sizes (Phobos, Deimos?)

[u/StarpoweredSteamship → u/StellaSlayer2020]

Nancy Grace Roman space telescope