On July 31, the European Space Agency (ESA) released the first images taken by the Euclid space telescope, demonstrating that the instruments are operating successfully.
One of the photos taken during the testing phase of the Euclid space telescope. Photo: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA/AFP
The star-filled images were captured during the Euclid’s testing phase, during which the scientific instruments of the telescope were precisely calibrated. These images do not yet fully represent its full potential. However, according to the ESA, the tests have shown that Euclid is fully capable of accomplishing its major mission.
“After more than 11 years of designing and developing Euclid, it’s exciting and emotional to see these first images,” shared Giuseppe Racca, Euclid Project Manager.
The Euclid space telescope was launched into space aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on July 1. Following the launch, the telescope traveled about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth to its observing orbit. From this position, Euclid will create the largest-ever map of the universe, including two billion galaxies scattered across one-third of the sky. Euclid can analyze galaxies located up to 10 billion light-years from Earth.
Another notable feature is that this ambitious map will be in 3D. The visible light camera will allow Euclid to capture the shapes of galaxies, while the near-infrared spectrometer and photometer, developed with the assistance of NASA, will help the telescope measure how far these galaxies are.
When the instruments were first activated, the research team was alarmed because an unexpected form of light damaged the images, according to the ESA. An investigation revealed that some sunlight had entered the telescope, possibly through a small gap, and was only detected when Euclid was oriented in certain ways. The ESA stated that by avoiding these angles, Euclid’s imaging devices can still fulfill their mission. The scientific operations of the telescope are expected to begin in October.
Euclid is designed to search for dark energy and dark matter, which scientists believe make up the majority of the universe but cannot be seen at the wavelengths of visible light. Instead, experts can observe them through their effects on other objects.
