Euclid — built and operated by ESA, with contributions from NASA — has captured full-color images of a large cluster of galaxies, close-ups of two nearby galaxies, a globular cluster, and a nebula. They show that Euclid is ready to create the most extensive 3D map of the Universe yet, to uncover some of its hidden secrets.
Launched on July 1, 2023, Euclid will observe billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years to create the largest, most accurate 3D map of the Universe, with the third dimension representing time itself.
This detailed chart of the shape, position and movement of galaxies will reveal how matter is distributed across immense distances and how the expansion of the Universe has evolved over cosmic history, enabling astronomers to infer the properties of dark energy and dark matter.
This will help theorists to improve our understanding of the role of gravity and pin down the nature of these enigmatic entities.
The images released today by the Euclid team include: the Perseus Cluster, the spiral galaxy IC 342, the irregular galaxy NGC 6822, the globular cluster NGC 6397 and the Horsehead Nebula.
“I wish to congratulate and thank everyone involved with making this ambitious mission a reality, which is a reflection of European excellence and international collaboration,” said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
“The first images captured by Euclid are awe-inspiring and remind us of why it is essential that we go to space to learn more about the mysteries of the Universe.”
“Dark matter pulls galaxies together and causes them to spin more rapidly than visible matter alone can account for; dark energy is driving the accelerated expansion of the Universe,” said Professor Carole Mundell, ESA Director of Science.
“Euclid will for the first-time allow cosmologists to study these competing dark mysteries together.”
“Euclid will make a leap in our understanding of the cosmos as a whole, and these exquisite Euclid images show…
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