In July 2023, the European Space Agency launched the Euclid space telescope, a mission aimed at understanding the dark Universe. Durham University scientists are part of the Euclid team and have played a key role in creating mock data used to train the analysis software of the telescope. Now they will compare their simulations with real observations from Euclid to help interpret the captured information.
Recently, Euclid released five new images that showcase clusters of galaxies, star-forming nurseries, and galaxy mergers. The Euclid space telescope is described by Professor Richard Massey of Durham’s Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy as the most sensitive camera ever built. This instrument is expected to last at least six years and has already shown its capacity to reveal structures and objects in the dark Universe in unprecedented detail.
Professor Massey highlighted the importance of Euclid in advancing our knowledge and understanding of the Universe’s evolution. Esa Director General Josef Aschbacher praised the hard work of scientists, engineers, and industry partners in Europe and around the world who have contributed to the mission’s success. He emphasized that Euclid’s mission to map the structure of the Universe is just beginning and holds great promise for the future.
