Euclid Space Telescope

Euclid Space Telescope Latest News

Galaxies in Different Shapes Captured by Euclid

About the Euclid Space Telescope

• Named After: Euclid of Alexandria, an ancient Greek mathematician known for his contributions to geometry.
• Part of: ESA’s Cosmic Vision Programme, which aims to explore the origin, components, and fundamental laws governing the universe.
• Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
• Operational Lifespan: Minimum 6 years.
• Orbit: 1.5 million km above Earth, at the Lagrange Point 2 (L2), a stable gravitational point in space.
• Size: 4.7 meters tall and 3.7 meters in diameter.
• Image Quality: Four times sharper than ground-based telescopes.

Scientific Objectives

• Investigate why the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate (a phenomenon attributed to dark energy).
• Study the distribution of dark matter by observing how galaxies and cosmic structures have evolved over billions of years.
• Map the large-scale structure of the universe in 3D to understand the effects of gravity and cosmic expansion.

Scientific Instruments

• Visible-Wavelength Camera (VISible Instrument - VIS): It captures high-resolution images of galaxies.
  • Helps detect tiny distortions in galaxy shapes caused by gravitational lensing—a method used to study dark matter.
• Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP): It measures how fast galaxies are moving apart, providing insight into the influence of dark energy over time.
  • Developed with NASA’s contribution, including sensor-chip electronics and detectors.

Key Observations and Data Release

• The Deep Field South region, observed for one week, contains 26 million galaxies, some over 10.5 billion light-years away.
• The telescope aims to survey 1.5 billion galaxies over its six-year mission, covering a third of the sky.
• The first cosmology data release is scheduled for October 2026.

Comparison with Other Missions

Euclid Space Telescope FAQs

Q1. What is the Euclid Space Telescope?

Ans. The Euclid Space Telescope is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission designed to study dark matter and dark energy by mapping the universe’s large-scale structure.

Q2. When was Euclid launched?

Ans. Euclid was launched on July 1, 2023, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Q3. What is Euclid’s primary method of observation?

Ans. Euclid observes galaxies across 10 billion years of cosmic history using visible and near-infrared imaging along with spectroscopic techniques.

Q4. Where is Euclid located in space?

Ans. Euclid operates from the Lagrange Point 2 (L2), approximately 1.5 million km from Earth, providing a stable environment for deep-space observations.

Source: WP