Space Industry and Business News
STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Euclid space telescope unveils new images of the cosmos
Euclid space telescope unveils new images of the cosmos
By Daniel Lawler and Pierre Celerier
Paris (AFP) May 23, 2024

A mind-boggling number of shining galaxies, a purple and orange star nursery and a spiral galaxy similar to our Milky Way: new images were revealed from Europe's Euclid space telescope on Thursday.

It is the second set of images released by the European Space Agency since Euclid launched last year on the first-ever mission to investigate the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.

Scientific results were also published for the first time in the six-year mission, which aims to use its wide view to chart two billion galaxies across a third of the sky.

Euclid project scientist Rene Laureijs told AFP that he was "personally most excited" about the image of a massive cluster of galaxies called Abell 2390.

The image of the cluster, which is 2.7 billion light years away from Earth, encompasses more than 50,000 galaxies.

Just one galaxy -- such as our own -- can be home to hundreds of billions or even trillions of stars.

Abell 2390 alone contains the mass of around 10 trillion suns, Jason Rhodes of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory told an online press conference.

The image also pointed towards traces of dark matter, whose invisible presence can only be detected by looking at how its gravity distorts light.

"There's so much dark matter in this cluster that it severely bends the light from some of these background galaxies," making them appear curved, Rhodes said.

Dark matter and dark energy are thought to make up 95 percent of the universe -- but we know almost nothing about them.

Another way the Abell 2390 image hinted at dark matter was by revealing the faint light of "orphan stars" drifting between the galaxy clusters.

These stars are ejected from the galaxies, "creating a kind of cloud which surrounds the entire cluster," French scientist Jean-Charles Cuillandre told AFP.

Astronomers believe this strange phenomenon indicates the presence of dark matter between the galaxies.

- A star is born -

Euclid also captured the deepest-ever image of the Messier 78, a nursery where stars are born 1,300 light years from Earth in the Orion constellation.

Stars are still in the process of forming in the bluish centre of the image. After gestating for millions of years, they emerge from the purple and orange clouds at the bottom of the image.

Laureijs emphasised that "only Euclid can show this in one shot."

That is because Euclid has a very wide field view, in contrast to far-seeing fellow space telescope the James Webb, its neighbour at a stable hovering spot 1.5 million kilometres (930,000 miles) from Earth.

Another image, of the huge galaxy cluster Abell 2764, depicts a black expanse in which one yellow star stands out.

Cuillandre admitted this was the result of an error in pointing the telescope. But he said the image demonstrated "Euclid's absolutely unique ability to concentrate light," because it was still able to pick up very faint objects next to the bright star.

Euclid's image of the young Dorado cluster contained a surprise. Though the cluster was already well studied, Euclid discovered a never-before-seen dwarf galaxy, the scientists said.

"I've never seen anything like it," Cuillandre said.

In the fifth new image, the spiral galaxy NGC 6744 -- which bears a striking resemblance to the Milky Way -- fans out against a backdrop of shining stars.

- On the trail of dark matter -

It is still early days for the mission, and the five new images were captured in just one day.

In the years ahead, scientists plan to sift through Euclid's data in the hopes of spotting all manner of celestial bodies such as "rogue" planets, which float freely through the universe unconnected to a star.

But researchers have already been analysing Euclid's first batch of images, which were released in November.

In one of 10 pre-print studies published on Thursday, scientists looked into orphan stars in the Perseus cluster.

These lost stars "are now trapped in the gravity of the dark matter," Laureijs said.

This remains only "indirect detection of dark matter," he emphasised, adding that it was too early "to say something about dark energy".

The mission has not been entirely smooth sailing.

In March, a delicate operation successfully melted a thin layer of ice that had been slowly clouding the telescope's sight by warming one of the telescope's mirrors.

There are signs that the ice is building up again, Laureijs said, adding that the team has time to investigate what to do next.

dl-pcl/cw

ORION

Related Links
Stellar Chemistry, The Universe And All Within It

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
STELLAR CHEMISTRY
LSST camera reaches Rubin Observatory in Chile for major cosmic exploration
Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 23, 2024
The 3200-megapixel LSST Camera, a critical instrument for the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, has arrived at Cerro Pachon in Chile. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science (DOE/SC) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), the LSST Camera will support the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), starting in late 2025. When operational, the LSST Camera will capture detailed images of the southern hemisphere sky for 10 years, creating a comprehensive timelapse of our Universe. ... read more

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Study: Under extreme impacts, metals get stronger when heated

10 Benefits of Using 360Learning for Your Company's Learning Needs

Colossus's AI-enabled hardware achieves space heritage aboard Loft's YAM-6 satellite

Where is the Best Place to Buy Used Books?

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
EchoStar secures contract to provide 5G to US Navy and agencies

China launches communication test satellites into medium-Earth orbit

CesiumAstro provides multi-beam Ka-band payloads for Rocket Lab under Tranche 2 contract

Rocket Lab Advances SDA Satellite Program with New Subcontractor Partnerships

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Magic Lane secures 3 million euro to enhance location intelligence capabilities

China Encourages BeiDou System Integration in Electric Bicycles

Estonia summons Russian envoy over GPS jamming

OneNav introduces new L5-direct GNSS receiver in response to increased GPS jamming

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Pilot seriously injured as F-35 crashes at Albuquerque airport

Ukraine signs $1B military assistance deal with Belgium

UK air force pilot dies in Spitfire crash

Belgium commits to deliver 30 F-16 jets to Kyiv by 2028

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Turning up the heat on next-generation semiconductors

China invests $47 billion in largest ever chip fund

Inside a semiconductor 'clean room' at Japan's top university

Nvidia profits soar on demand for AI power

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Metaspectral and Armada Partner for Remote Real-Time AI Analysis of Hyperspectral Imagery

NASA's Compact Infrared Cameras Enable New Science

Satellite-Based Hyperspectral Sensors Enhance Monitoring Capabilities

EarthCARE satellite launches to probe how clouds affect climate

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
'Come back': Champs-Elysees wants to win over Parisians

Most bathing sites in Europe safe: EU environment agency

Philippines deploys river rangers in battle against plastic

Teabags don't readily deteriorate in the environment and impact terrestrial species

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.