Europe’s Euclid space telescope is set to launch on Saturday, embarking on a groundbreaking mission to unravel two enigmatic aspects of the Universe: dark energy and dark matter. The launch will take place from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 11:11 am local time (1511 GMT) on a Falcon 9 rocket, courtesy of the US company SpaceX.
The European Space Agency (ESA) had to turn to billionaire Elon Musk’s rival firm to carry out the launch after Russia withdrew its Soyuz rockets in response to sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine. Following a month-long journey through space, Euclid will join its companion, the James Webb space telescope, at the second Lagrangian Point, approximately 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth.
Euclid’s primary objective is to construct the most extensive map of the Universe ever created, covering more than a third of the sky and encompassing up to two billion galaxies. By capturing light that has traveled for 10 billion years to reach Earth, this map will provide new insights into the history of the 13.8-billion-year-old Universe.
The project manager of Euclid, Giuseppe Racca, acknowledges that humanity finds itself confronted with a “cosmic embarrassment” as 95 percent of the Universe remains unknown. Scientists estimate that approximately 70 percent of the Universe is composed of dark energy, an unidentified force driving the accelerated expansion of the Universe. Additionally, dark matter, constituting around 25 percent of the Universe, is thought to bind galaxies together and contribute to 80 percent of its mass.
Guadalupe Canas, a member of the Euclid consortium, described the two-tonne space telescope as a “dark detective” with the potential to shed light on both dark energy and dark matter. Euclid, standing at 4.7 meters (15 feet) tall and 3.5 meters (11 feet) wide, will employ two scientific instruments to survey the sky. Its visible light camera will enable the measurement of galaxy shapes, while its near-infrared spectrometer and photometer will determine their distances.
Unveiling the Invisible: Euclid’s Unique Approach
How does Euclid aim to detect entities that are inherently invisible? By seeking their absence. The light originating from billions of light-years away undergoes slight distortion due to the presence of visible and dark matter en route, a phenomenon known as weak gravitational lensing. By subtracting the contribution of visible matter, scientists can infer the existence of dark matter in between, although the true nature of dark matter may not be fully revealed. Nevertheless, this methodology is expected to yield valuable clues for future investigations.
In the case of dark energy, French astrophysicist David Elbaz compares the expansion of the Universe to an inflating balloon with drawn lines. By measuring the rate at which it inflates, scientists hope to quantify the breath, or dark energy, that propels its expansion. One significant distinction between Euclid and other space telescopes is its wide field of view, which encompasses an area equivalent to two full moons. This expansive perspective allows Euclid to “surf the sky and find exotic objects,” such as black holes, which can subsequently be explored in greater detail by the Webb telescope.
Euclid’s Far-Reaching Implications
Beyond its investigation of dark energy and dark matter, Euclid’s comprehensive map of the Universe is anticipated to be a veritable “goldmine” for the field of astronomy at large. Scientists hope that the data collected by Euclid will provide invaluable insights into the evolution of galaxies, the nature of black holes, and various other astronomical phenomena. Initial images are expected to be captured once scientific operations commence in October, with major data releases scheduled for 2025, 2027, and 2030.
The 1.4-billion-euro (US$1.5-billion) mission is projected to run until 2029, with the possibility of an extension if all goes well. The launch of Euclid occurs at a time when Europe faces challenges in independently sending its missions into space, owing to Russia terminating its cooperation last year and significant delays to the next-generation Ariane 6 rocket. Nonetheless, Euclid’s launch signifies a significant milestone in humanity’s quest to comprehend the mysteries of the Universe.
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