in Tech

Euclid Space Telescope: A New View of the Universe

The Euclid Space Telescope, a project led by the European Space Agency (ESA), is the newest member of the space observatories family. It joins the ranks of the famous James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble, with a specific mission: to explore the depths of the universe and decipher its mysteries. Launched on July 1, 2023, Euclid has already begun working on this exciting mission.

Euclid: A Tool for Understanding Dark Energy and Matter

The primary goal of Euclid is to enhance our understanding of dark energy and matter. To achieve this, it is equipped to precisely measure the acceleration of the universe. This measurement is crucial in understanding the nature of dark energy, believed to be responsible for this acceleration.

Euclid is equipped with a 1.2-meter diameter telescope and two scientific instruments. One of them is VIS, a spectrograph that measures galaxy properties such as their mass, chemical composition, and speed. The other instrument is NISP, a photometer that measures galaxy luminosity and shape.

EUCLID: A Six-Year Mission to Observe Billions of Galaxies

For six years, Euclid will observe billions of galaxies across more than a third of the sky. The data collected by the telescope will enable astronomers to:

  • Measure the rate of acceleration of the universe, which will aid in understanding dark energy’s nature.
  • Map the distribution of dark matter in the universe, which will assist in understanding how dark matter shaped universe evolution.
  • Study galaxy formation and evolution, which will help comprehend how galaxies formed and evolved throughout universe history.

First Images Captured by Euclid

The Euclid telescope recently made waves by releasing the first images captured with its instruments. These images include views of a large cluster of thousands of distant galaxies, close-ups of two nearby galaxies, a group of gravitationally bound stars called a globular cluster, and a nebula – a cloud of gas and dust in space where stars are born. All these images are represented in vibrant colors, offering a fascinating view of our universe.

The Euclid Space Telescope is a valuable tool for exploring and understanding our universe. Its observations and the data it collects will greatly contribute to our knowledge of dark energy and matter, as well as our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. We look forward to future discoveries from this remarkable observation machine.