ESA's Euclid telescope captures 208-gigapixel image of universe. Say what!
The European Space Agency (ESA) has released an incredible 208-gigapixel mosaic, taken by its Euclid space telescope. The image is only 1% of the full map that Euclid plans to create in the next six years. The mosaic depicts an area in our universe more than 500 times larger than the Moon, featuring some 100 million entities like stars and galaxies.
Euclid's mosaic: A tool for studying dark matter
The mosaic image captured by Euclid is not just a visual spectacle, but also a valuable scientific resource. It features some 14 million galaxies that could potentially be used to investigate the hidden influence of dark matter and dark energy on the universe. "This is just one percent of the map, and yet it is full of a variety of sources that will help scientists discover new ways to describe the Universe," said Valeria Pettorino, Euclid Project Scientist at ESA.
Advanced camera and observation capabilities
The Euclid space telescope started its mission in February 2024, and the mosaic is based on 260 observations taken between late March and mid-April. With a 600MP sharp and sensitive visible light camera, Euclid can take pictures with incredible detail. When zoomed into the mosaic up to 600x, you can clearly spot the core of galactic clusters and see dots morphing into beautiful spiral galaxies over 400 million light years away from Earth.
Euclid's mission: Creating the largest cosmic 3D map
The ESA team has said the complete map, which will be ready in about six years, will reveal the shapes and movements of galaxies and stars as far as 10 billion light years. "During this survey, the telescope observes the shapes, distances, and motions of billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years. By doing this, it will create the largest cosmic 3D map ever made," they said.
Mosaic reveals presence of galactic cirrus
The mosaic from Euclid also shows the presence of dim clouds resembling cirrus clouds, which the ESA team calls galactic cirrus. These structures can reflect light from distant stars, enabling researchers to locate, analyze, and study hidden celestial bodies. But galactic cirrus isn't the only interesting finding in the mosaic. There could be many other cosmic structures hiding in it, waiting to be discovered.
