Europe UK (Commonwealth Union) – A European mission looking into the way gravity, dark energy along with dark matter impacted the Universe was initiated following receiving funds amounting to £37 million from the UK Space Agency.
The Euclid space telescope, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and a consortium of 2,000 scientists from 16 countries, aims to explore the enigmatic depths of the “dark Universe.” Its mission involves meticulously mapping billions of galaxies spanning a staggering distance of 10 billion light-years. This ambitious endeavor will cover more than a third of the celestial sphere, allowing Euclid to gather invaluable data about the formation and evolution of the Universe’s structure throughout cosmic history.
Over the course of six years, Euclid will embark on a profound cosmic journey, equipped with two cutting-edge scientific instruments. The first is a visible imager (VIS), an impressive camera crafted in the United Kingdom, which will ascend to the ranks of the largest cameras ever deployed in space. The second instrument is a near-infrared spectrometer and photometer, developed in France, designed to capture and analyze light in the near-infrared spectrum.
Together, these advanced instruments will enable Euclid to unlock the mysteries of the dark Universe, unraveling its secrets and shedding light on the intricacies of its formation and evolution.
Secretary of State for Science and Technology Chloe Smith says “The launch of the Euclid mission is a truly significant moment. Backed by £37 million in UK funding and supported by our remarkable scientific talent and expertise, the mission will launch one of the largest cameras ever into space to look out across our universe.”
Euclid is set to find solutions to some of the most dominant and most intelligent questions we have concerning the Universe and dark energy, according to Executive Chair at STFC Professor Mark Thomson. He also congratulated those who were involved in the work.
