2023-11-07 13:45:07
November 7, 2023 Today at 2:44 p.m.
Euclid, the telescope sent into orbit by the European Space Agency last July, transmitted its first images of the cosmos, revealing galaxies never before seen.
Launched into space just four months ago, the European telescope Euclid unveiled its first images of the cosmos. A dazzling nebula resembling a horse’s head, distant galaxies never seen before and swirling star masses in their smallest details… These five images “remind us why it is essential to go into space to learn more regarding the mysteries of the Universe“, said Josef Aschbacher, head of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Placed in orbit 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, Euclid must attempt to unravel the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, which would constitute most of the universe according to the standard Big Bang model. For at least six years, the mission will observe billions of galaxies and produce a 3D map of the cosmos. This progressive mapping should help us better understand the expansion of the universe.
“Never before has a telescope been capable of creating such sharp astronomical images over such a large portion of the sky, and looking so far in the universe”, writes the European Space Agency in a press release.
Euclid’s images
Full screen view A spiral-shaped galaxy called the “Hidden Galaxy”, also known as IC 342 or Cadwell 5, captured by the Euclid telescope. ©via REUTERS Full screen view A globular cluster called NGC 6397, the second closest globular cluster to Earth, located approximately 7,800 light years away. ©via REUTERS Full screen view An irregularly shaped dwarf galaxy called NGC 6822, located 1.6 million light years from Earth. ©via REUTERS Full screen view The telescope observed galaxies belonging to the Perseus cluster and others more distant. ©via REUTERS
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