On Tuesday, researchers revealed the initial images captured by the Euclid telescope from Europe, a dazzling and breathtaking compilation of galaxies that are unquantifiable in number.
The European Space Agency unveiled the photos four months after the telescope was launched from Cape Canaveral.
The Hubble Space Telescope and other telescopes have previously captured images of these cosmic landscapes, but Euclid’s photos stand out for their high-resolution and expansive coverage of the sky, offering a unique glimpse into the far reaches of the universe.
Euclid took a photograph that included 1,000 galaxies in a cluster located 240 million light-years away. The photo also featured over 100,000 galaxies that are billions of light-years away. One light-year is equivalent to 5.8 trillion miles.
“The galaxy cluster is absolutely stunning,” exclaimed Carole Mundell, the science director of the space agency, as she displayed the image on a large screen at the control center in Germany.
Mundell stated that Euclid’s sensitive instruments have been able to detect even the faintest galaxies, previously invisible to the naked eye. The resulting images provide a clear and breathtaking view into the past of the universe.
The telescope captured images of a spiral galaxy that is similar to our own Milky Way and is relatively nearby. While the Hubble Space Telescope had previously observed the center of this galaxy, Euclid’s shot shows that star formation is occurring throughout the entire region, according to scientists.
Euclid snapped new images of the Horsehead Nebula, located in the Orion constellation, which is a well-known birthplace of young stars, thanks to the Hubble telescope. It only took Euclid one hour to capture the stunning new photos, which were taken during less than a full day of observation.
Astronomers aim to gain insight into the mysterious dark energy and matter, which account for 95% of the universe, by observing the form and motion of galaxies located up to 10 billion light-years away.
Over the next six years, the observatory will conduct a survey of billions of galaxies and produce the most extensive 3D map of the universe to date. NASA is collaborating on the $1.5 billion project and provided the telescope’s infrared detectors.
Euclid was sent into orbit in July and is currently located 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away from Earth, circling the sun. The telescope is named after a renowned mathematician from ancient Greece.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is responsible for all content.
Watafiti wa Ulaya wametoa picha za kwanza za Euclid Telescope, ambayo ni makundi ya nyota na nyota ambazo hazina idadi ya kawaida. Shirika la Anga la Ulaya lilifunua picha hizo miezi minne baada ya darubini hiyo kurushwa kutoka Cape Canaveral. Teleskopi ya Hubble na nyingine za kale zimepata picha za mandhari hizi za anga, lakini picha za Euclid zinaonekana kwa sababu ya azimio lao la juu na chanjo kubwa ya anga, ikitoa mtazamo wa kipekee wa ulimwengu. Euclid alichukua picha ya nyota 1,000 katika kundi la nyota lililo umbali wa miaka 240 milioni ya mwanga. Picha hiyo pia ilionyesha galaksi zaidi ya 100,000 zilizo umbali wa mabilioni ya miaka ya nuru. Mwaka mmoja wa mwanga ni sawa na maili bilioni 8. "Kundi hilo la galaksi ni lenye kuvutia sana", akasema Carole Mundell, mkurugenzi wa sayansi wa shirika hilo la angani, alipokuwa akionyesha picha hiyo kwenye skrini kubwa katika kituo cha kudhibiti huko Ujerumani. Mundell alisema kwamba vyombo vyenye utambuzi wa Euclid vimeweza kugundua hata galaksi dhaifu zaidi, ambazo hapo awali hazikuonekana kwa jicho la kawaida. Picha zinazotokezwa hutoa mandhari iliyo wazi na yenye kuvutia ya wakati uliopita wa ulimwengu. Darubini hiyo ilichukua picha za galaksi ya mviringo inayofanana na galaksi yetu ya Milky Way na ambayo iko karibu sana. Wakati darubini ya Hubble ilikuwa imepiga picha ya katikati ya galaksi hiyo, picha ya Euclid inaonyesha kwamba nyota zinafanyizwa katika eneo hilo lote. Euclid alipiga picha mpya za Kiota cha Horsehead, kilichopo katika kundi la nyota la Orion, ambalo ni mahali maarufu pa kuzaliwa kwa nyota vijana, shukrani kwa darubini ya Hubble. Euclid alichukua saa moja tu kuchukua picha hizo mpya za kushangaza, ambazo zilichukuliwa wakati wa chini ya siku nzima ya uchunguzi. Wataalamu wa nyota wanajaribu kuelewa jinsi nishati na vitu vya giza vinavyotumiwa katika ulimwengu, vinavyotumiwa katika sayari, vinavyofanya kazi kwa kuchunguza umbo na mwendo wa nyota zilizo umbali wa miaka 10 ya mwanga. Katika miaka sita ijayo, kituo hicho cha uchunguzi kitatengeneza ramani ya ulimwengu katika muundo wa 3D. NASA inashirikiana na mradi huo wa dola bilioni 1.5 na kutoa vifaa vya kugundua infrared vya darubini hiyo. Euclid ilitumwa kwenye mzunguko wa dunia mwezi Julai na kwa sasa iko umbali wa kilomita milioni 1.6 kutoka duniani, ikizunguka jua. Darubini hiyo imepewa jina la mwanahisabati mashuhuri wa Ugiriki ya kale. Kikundi cha Sayansi na Elimu cha Vyombo vya Habari cha Taasisi ya Matibabu ya Howard Hughes hutoa msaada kwa Idara ya Afya na Sayansi ya Associated Press. AP ni wajibu kwa ajili ya maudhui yote.