“The European Euclid space telescope unveils its first images: a fascinating dive into the universe”
Launched into space in July, the European Euclid space telescope recently revealed its very first images, offering a unique insight into our universe and its mysteries. These captivating shots include the Horsehead Nebula, located in the constellation Orion, as well as distant galaxies never before observed.
Euclid, whose mission is to study dark matter and dark energy, has covered a third of the sky since its departure and has managed to map nearly two billion galaxies. Through this extensive exploration, Euclid was able to create a 3D map of the universe, considered the most accurate to date.
The first images sent by Euclid from its observation point 1.5 million kilometers from Earth were presented at a conference at the European Space Operations Center in Germany. Josef Aschbacher, the head of the European Space Agency (ESA), calls the images “stunning and inspiring”, highlighting the fundamental importance of space exploration to our understanding of the universe.
One of the most remarkable images is that of the Perseus cluster, which brings together more than a thousand galaxies. The image also reveals more than 100,000 additional galaxies in the background, including some 10 billion light-years away, never before observed. Euclid has a wide field of view, allowing it to capture large, high-resolution images. The first five images were taken in just eight hours.
Euclid is nicknamed the “Dark Universe Detective” by the ESA, because his main mission is to understand the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy. Indeed, these two phenomena represent respectively 27% and 68% of the total content of the universe, but we still know very little about their nature and their functioning.
Dark matter, as the glue of galaxies, is responsible for their stability and prevents their dispersion. Dark energy, for its part, is responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe. The first data collected by Euclid have already provided “indirect evidence” of the existence of dark matter, while future observations should tell us more about these intriguing cosmic phenomena.
Euclid’s mission is expected to continue until at least 2029, and many more exciting images and discoveries are expected in the coming months. Euclid thus offers us a unique opportunity to explore the mysteries of our universe and push the limits of our understanding.