Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
The European Space Agency (ESA) has unveiled the inaugural images captured by the Euclid space telescope, showcasing an awe-inspiring collection of galaxies. These images come just four months after the telescope's launch from Cape Canaveral.
Euclid's images offer a stunning view of the cosmos, providing high-resolution astronomical images that peer deep into the distant universe. While some of these celestial bodies have been observed by telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope before, Euclid's images stand out for their unprecedented clarity and detail.
Credit : ESA
Among the remarkable images captured by Euclid is a group photograph of 1,000 galaxies nestled within a cluster located 240 million light-years away. This captivating image is set against the backdrop of over 100,000 galaxies that are billions of light-years away.
A light-year, the distance that light travels in one year, roughly equates to 5.8 trillion miles. This perspective helps grasp the immense scale of the galaxies Euclid has revealed.
Euclid's instruments are incredibly sensitive, enabling it to detect galaxies that were previously too faint to be seen. The outcome is a series of crystal-clear and stunning images that provide a glimpse back in time within the cosmic universe.
Credit : ESA
One of Euclid's captivating images displays a spiral galaxy similar to our Milky Way. While the Hubble Space Telescope previously observed the heart of this galaxy, Euclid's image reveals star formation occurring across the entire region.
Euclid also captured fresh images of the Horsehead Nebula in the Orion constellation; a well-known nursery of baby stars made famous by the Hubble. Impressively, it took Euclid just one hour to capture these new images.
Astronomers aim to learn more about the enigmatic dark energy and matter that constitute a significant 95% of the universe by measuring the shape and movement of galaxies up to 10 billion light-years away. Euclid's mission over the next six years involves surveying billions of galaxies to create the most comprehensive 3D map of the cosmos to date.
NASA is a vital partner in the $1.5 billion Euclid mission and supplied the telescope's infrared detectors. Launched in July, Euclid orbits the sun at a distance of around 1 million miles from Earth. The telescope pays homage to the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid in its name.
Euclid's remarkable images mark a significant milestone in our understanding of the universe. Its capacity to unveil galaxies, star formations, and cosmic landscapes offers an extraordinary look of the cosmos, propelling us into an era of unprecedented astronomical exploration and discovery.