The European Space Agency (ESA) has released the first installment of what will become the most extensive 3D map of the universe ever created. This initial data release showcases a stunning purplish-blue mosaic, compiled from 260 observations made by the Euclid space telescope, ESA’s state-of-the-art dark matter observatory. Over its anticipated six-year mission, Euclid will gather data to help scientists unravel the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, components that constitute a staggering 95% of the known universe.
This remarkable 208-gigapixel image covers a region of the southern sky approximately 500 times larger than the full Moon, representing data collected between March 25 and April 8, 2024. This mosaic comprises only 1% of the expansive wide survey that Euclid will ultimately capture, which will encompass billions of galaxies stretching far back into the universe’s history. This first image alone reveals 14 million galaxies, alongside tens of millions of stars within our own Milky Way galaxy.
Unprecedented Detail in a Vast Cosmic Canvas
This initial image represents a small but significant piece of a much larger puzzle. “This stunning image is the first piece of a map that will reveal more than one third of the sky in six years,” explained Valeria Pettorino, a Euclid project scientist at ESA, in a Max Planck Institute for Astronomy release. “This is just 1% of the map, and yet it is teeming with a variety of sources that will help scientists discover new ways to describe the Universe.”
A section of the Euclid mosaic showing numerous galaxies.A section of the Euclid mosaic teeming with numerous galaxies and offering a glimpse into the vastness of space. Image: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, CEA Paris-Saclay, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi (CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)
The image above provides a closer look at a specific region within the larger mosaic, magnified approximately 600 times. It showcases a spiral galaxy located roughly 420 million light-years from Earth. This zoomed-in area represents a mere 0.0003% of the entire 208-gigapixel image, emphasizing the sheer scale of the Euclid survey.
Unveiling the Secrets of Dark Matter and Dark Energy
To date, approximately 12% of the survey has been completed, with the spacecraft transmitting around 100 gigabytes of data back to Earth every day. This data will be instrumental in understanding the distribution of dark matter throughout the universe and observing its effects, such as gravitational lensing.
Euclid’s Journey: From Test Images to Cosmic Cartography
The $1.4 billion Euclid spacecraft initially released its first images in November 2023, demonstrating its impressive capabilities. These early images featured the Perseus galaxy cluster, various spiral and irregular galaxies, a globular cluster, and the Horsehead Nebula. These followed earlier test images released in August 2023, marking the beginning of Euclid’s journey to create this groundbreaking cosmic map.
A New Era in Cosmological Exploration
The release of this initial data marks a significant milestone in our quest to understand the universe. Euclid’s ongoing survey promises to revolutionize our understanding of dark matter and dark energy, providing invaluable insights into the fundamental nature and evolution of the cosmos.
