Posted on 11/07/2023 11:25:01 AM PST by Red Badger
Nov. 7 (UPI) -- The European Space Agency on Tuesday released the first images from its Euclid space telescope, which is designed to observe deep space in the hopes of unlocking the mysteries of the universe.
The five detailed images show the Perseus Galaxy Cluster, the IC 342 spiral galaxy, globular cluster NGC 6397, irregular galaxy NGC 6822, and the Horseshoe Nebula.
1 of 2 | The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope has released its first five images, including this image of the Perseus galaxy cluster. Photo courtesy of European Space Agency
"Never before has a telescope been able to create such razor-sharp astronomical images across such a large patch of the sky, and looking so far into the distance universe," the European Space Agency said in a press release Tuesday.
The Euclid space telescope was launched in July aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and is tasked with collecting images that will be used to create the most detailed 3D model of the universe to date.
Researchers also hope data collected from the mission can help them understand the dark matter, which makes up most of the physical weight of the universe and dark energy, the force that appears to drive the expansion of the universe, which is accelerating faster than scientists can account for based on the mass of the universe as it is understood.
"To reveal the 'dark' influence on the visible universe, over the next six years Euclid will observe the shapes, distances and motions of billions of galaxies out to 20 billion light-years," the ESA said.
Euclid Ping!...................
Very cool, though I’m a little disappointed that no one Photoshopped the Millennium Falcon into the photo.
Dots, all i see are dots
We want to see worlds!
Close up!
The hell with dots, get bigger telescopes, like a million miles wide, just do it
I’m noticing 6 spikes like the James Webb telescope, so the diffraction of light is the same as Webb, 6 mirrors.
What can this do that Webb can’t?
Brings to mind David Bowman’s immortal line in the Kubrick film: “It’s all ate up with stars!”
That’s a whole heap of galaxies
Yep!
BILLIONS AND BILLIONS!............................
Unfortunately, to a slight extent, spoiled by the following bureaucratic begging-for-more-funds propaganda:
"Researchers also hope data collected from the mission can help them understand the dark matter, which makes up most of the physical weight of the universe and dark energy, the force that appears to drive the expansion of the universe, which is accelerating faster than scientists can account for based on the mass of the universe as it is understood."
Think I saw this same spiel on the side of a septic-pumping truck just the other day...
From the ESA website:
“In the absence of Earth’s atmosphere, and with optics of the highest quality, the angular resolution of a telescope is determined by the size of its primary mirror. Since Euclid has a smaller primary mirror than the Hubble Space Telescope, it will resolve fewer fine details, but the image quality will be outstanding and the lower resolution will be adequate to achieve its scientific goals. The telescope and its optics are designed to deliver a large field of view and a stable image quality throughout the survey.”
🤦♀️😜.......................
“If you put the Federal Government in charge of the universe, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of Stars.” Milton Friedman.
Euclid? I was told there would be no geometry on Free Republic 🤔.
Well, there’s very little math, so there’s that.................
And to think that the space between each of those billions of stars is like the space between us and Proxima Centouri.
Waiting for shots from Voyager one from deep space.
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