Euclid telescope sends back largest images of universe ever taken from space

Europe’s Euclid telescope has sent back the largest images of the universe ever taken from space in its quest to unravel the secrets of the cosmos.

The five images, released by the European Space Agency (ESA), capture vast new areas of the sky in unprecedented detail, offering an exciting glimpse into the distant cosmic past.

Dr Michelle Collins, of the University of Surrey – who helped the Euclid team identify possible new galaxies in the images, said: “These stunning first images are just the tip of the iceberg.”

She added: “This telescope can reveal millions of new objects in a single day.

“We’re only just beginning to realise its potential.”

The new images feature two galaxy clusters known as Abell 2764 and Abell 2390, a group of galaxies called the Dorado, a spiral galaxy dubbed NGC 6744, and a vibrant stellar nursery known as Messier 78.

euclid telescope sends back largest images of universe ever taken from space

Euclid’s new image of Abell 2390 – a galaxy cluster 2.7 billion light years away in the constellation of Pegasus (ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/Nasa) ()

Messier 78 is the nearest location – just 1,300 light years away from Earth, while Abell 2390 is the furthest at 2.7 billion light years away in the constellation of Pegasus.

The hope is that data from Euclid will shed light on two of the universe’s greatest mysteries: dark energy and dark matter.

Dark matter is made up of particles that do not absorb, reflect, or emit light while dark energy is believed to be pushing galaxies apart, causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.

Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency, said: “A key part of our purpose as a space agency is to understand more about the universe, what it’s made of and how it works.

“There is no better example of this than the Euclid mission – we know that most of universe is made up of invisible dark matter and dark energy, but we don’t really understand what it is, or how it affects the way the universe is evolving.”

Astronomers said the images taken by Euclid are at least four times sharper than those captured using ground-based telescopes.

euclid telescope sends back largest images of universe ever taken from space

Euclid’s new image of the Dorado group of galaxies, 62 million light years away in the constellation of Dorado (ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/Nasa) ()

They were created by combining data from Euclid’s two instruments: VIS, a visible light camera, and the Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP), which captures light from the infrared spectrum.

Professor Mark Cropper, from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at UCL, who led on designing and developing the VIS, said: “To achieve its core aim of better understanding dark energy and dark matter, Euclid’s measurements need to be exquisitely precise.

“This requires a camera that is incredibly stable, incredibly well understood, with conditions inside it needing to be controlled very carefully.

“The VIS camera we developed will not only contribute beautiful images, but help us answer fundamental questions about the role of dark energy and dark matter in the evolution of the universe.”

The new findings, based on only 24 hours of observations, have been described in a series of 10 papers published on the online portal arXiv.

The research focuses on 17 astronomical objects, from nearby clouds of gas and dust to distant clusters of galaxies.

Stephen Serjeant, professor of astronomy at the Open University, said: “At the OU we are using the beautiful image quality of these very wide images to search for warps in space and time.

euclid telescope sends back largest images of universe ever taken from space

Euclid’s new image of spiral galaxy NGC 6744, which is 30 million light years away (ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/Nasa) ()

“This is where a distant galaxy is being seen through the warped space around a foreground one.

“It’s one of the few ways we have to directly see the existence of dark matter.”

Dr Rebecca Bowler, Ernest Rutherford Fellow at the University of Manchester, added: “What is amazing is that these images cover an area of less than 1% of the full deep observations, showing that we expect to detect thousands of early galaxies in the next few years with Euclid, which will be revolutionary in understanding how and when galaxies formed after the Big Bang.”

In total, Euclid has so far produced more than 11 million objects in visible light and five million more in infrared light.

One of the aims of the mission, which launched in July 2023, is to create a 3D map of the universe by observing two billion galaxies which will help scientists understand its cosmic history.

euclid telescope sends back largest images of universe ever taken from space

Euclid’s new view of galaxy cluster Abell 2764, which lies around one billion light years away in the direction of the Phoenix constellation (ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/Nasa) ()

Dr Valeria Pettorino, Euclid project scientist at the ESA, said: “Euclid is a unique, ground-breaking mission, and these are the first datasets to be made public – it’s an important milestone.

“The images and associated science findings are impressively diverse in terms of the objects and distances observed.

“They include a variety of science applications, and yet represent a mere 24 hours of observations.

“They give just a hint of what Euclid can do.

“We are looking forward to six more years of data to come.”

OTHER NEWS

30 minutes ago

Ride For Your Life event draws hundreds to Saskatoon streets in rally for change

32 minutes ago

‘I am the original Brexiteer’ - Rishi Sunak hits back at Nigel Farage challenge

32 minutes ago

Tory vote collapse so bad Labour argue only they can beat Farage in Clacton

32 minutes ago

Superior endurance helps China’s Pang Runzhi, 17, to Singapore Ladies Masters victory

32 minutes ago

Chip and Joanna Gaines Flipped This 1960s Home for Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse—See the Final Result

32 minutes ago

Pilgrims entering Mecca for Hajj take steps to protect themselves from heat - AP explains

32 minutes ago

‘Warnings are there’: Australia unlikely to hit renewable energy 2030 targets

32 minutes ago

Swinney: Douglas Ross’s decision to run as MP has left ‘bad taste’ in north east

34 minutes ago

Wildfire near LA spreads to 11,000 acres, sparking evacuations

36 minutes ago

Terrified calf called Beau Lucy who was rammed by police squad car after escaping is recovering but could 'die from shock', farmer's partner reveals - amid fury at 'heavy-handed' cops

36 minutes ago

Video: Terrified calf called Beau Lucy who was rammed by police squad car after escaping is recovering but could 'die from shock', farmer's partner reveals - amid fury at 'heavy-handed' cops

37 minutes ago

Viral video of sorority girls 'strolling' to X-rated rap sparks fury over 'cultural appropriation'

38 minutes ago

Brands and politics have become melded in the public mind: Edelman

38 minutes ago

Scoring from unlikely sources helps the Oilers stay alive in the Stanley Cup Final

38 minutes ago

Soccer-Cuddles and kicked backsides needed to lift Scots, says Clarke

38 minutes ago

11 Celebs Who Turned Down White House Invites (And Why)

38 minutes ago

Gardener warned about 'adorable' plant that could take over backyard: 'Don't be fooled or tempted by its beauty'

38 minutes ago

Deadly Toll in Greece as Heat Waves Sweep the Country

41 minutes ago

Guy Haymes death: Why Jayson Brett Dal Molin didn't face court after being charged with murder of much-loved surfer on Sydney's northern beaches

42 minutes ago

RPG Devs Can't Add Dating System Because Team Lacks 'Real Life Experience'

42 minutes ago

Emma Raducanu turns down Olympics wild card – but Andy Murray in Team GB squad

42 minutes ago

Mathematician Reveals 'Equals' Has More Than One Meaning in Math

43 minutes ago

Candidates race into France's snap legislative poll but one convicted for spousal assault withdraws

43 minutes ago

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says use of Russian assets from Ukraine is not 'theft' despite Putin's claims

43 minutes ago

Maine police kill armed man after a night of gunfire and burned homes

44 minutes ago

How Apple, Microsoft and 3 other tech giants can make money with AI geared to consumers

44 minutes ago

Guy Haymes death: Why Jayson Brett Dal Molin didn't face court after being charged with murder of much-loved surfer on Sydney's northern beaches

47 minutes ago

‘We Thank PM Modi’: Sharad Pawar’s Remark With Allies Stings BJP

47 minutes ago

Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren to Star in ‘Last Five Years’ on Broadway

49 minutes ago

Celtics Fans Send Desperate Plea to Jayson Tatum Ahead of NBA Finals Game 5

49 minutes ago

Inside Finland’s first NATO mission with UK forces in show of strength to Putin

49 minutes ago

Las Vegas Raiders post-minicamp starting offense projection: Who's QB?

49 minutes ago

Six MAD Shorts heading to the Toronto Arab Film Festival

49 minutes ago

Kate Middleton's 'perfect' Father's Day photo of Prince William and their children sends royal fans into a frenzy as they say they're left in tears over sweet 'we love you, Papa!' message

49 minutes ago

Dozens of firefighters tackle raging inferno inside flat in London tower block - as four people are rushed to hospital

49 minutes ago

Biden slams the Supreme Court and rips into Trump at Jimmy Kimmel-hosted celebrity fundraiser attended by Obama, George Clooney and Julia Roberts

49 minutes ago

Eat more protein and less carbs if you want to lose weight and feel less hungry, new study suggests

52 minutes ago

'Dan Hurley just used and abused the Los Angeles Lakers.' — Skip on Hurley deciding to stay at UConn

52 minutes ago

Hamburg police shoot man with axe and ‘Molotov cocktail’ ahead of Euro 2024 game

53 minutes ago

Houston native making Hollywood dreams come true, and wants to bring some of it back to Space City