NASA to launch telescope to teach scientists about tens of thousands of new planets

(CBS, KYMA) - NASA will launch a new telescope Sunday that will map our universe in stunning detail.

The $4.3 billion Nancy Grace Roman Telescope will likely teach scientists about tens of thousands of new planets.

Compared to the Hubble Telescope, it has a huge wide-field camera as a single image shows an area up to 200 times larger.

"I think in less than one year of Roman data, we'll have provided more data than the Hubble Space Telescope has in its 30-plus year lifetime," said Mark Melton, NASA Roman Mission Systems Engineer.

Scientists predict the telescope will help them discover 20 billion stars in our own galaxy, and the first images should arrive by Christmas.

To learn more about the telescope, click here.