It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. Euclid Space TelescopeThe mission of the, which was launched on July 1st to shed light on elusive dark matterYou can also find out more about the following: dark energyThe first images of the satellite were released by its European operators on Monday.
The star-filled snapshots were taken during the space telescope’s commissioning – a phase during which its powerful instruments are finely calibrated – and therefore not representative of its full potential.
The European Space Agency (ESA), however, says that tests have already shown it is capable of completing its massive mission.
After more than eleven years of designing and creating Euclid, seeing these first images is exhilarating. It’s also incredibly emotional. Giuseppe Racca, project manager at Euclid, said in a press release.
After blasting off from Florida, the satellite has traveled about one million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from Earth to its observational orbit.
Euclid, the astronomical program, will then map the entire universe. This will include up to two million galaxies, which cover more than one-third of the sky.
By capturing light that has taken 10 billion years to reach Earth’s vicinity, the map will also offer a new view of the 13.8-billion-year-old universe’s history.
Its visible light camera will let it measure the shape of galaxies, while its near-infrared spectrometer and photometer (NISP) – developed with the help of NASA – will allow it to measure how far away they are.
When the instruments were turned on, the researchers were shocked by “an unexpected pattern” of light contamination in the images. ESA said.
An investigation The research led some to believeThe spacecraft was “sunlighting” through a small gap, but it could only be detected when Euclid’s orientation was certain.
By avoiding certain angles, ESA is sayingEuclid’s imaging device will be able “to fulfill its mission.”
Scientists are hoping to use the information collected to correct what Racca called “a cosmic embarrassment”, that 95% of the universe is still unknown to mankind.
The dark energy that accelerates the expansion of the universe is estimated to be 70 percent.
And 25 percent is believed to be dark matter, thought to bind the universe together and make up around 80 percent of its mass.
In October, the telescope will begin its scientific operations.
