The European Space Agency (ESA) has released the first full-color images from Euclid, the agency\u2019s latest space telescope designed to study the nature and distribution of dark matter and dark energy in the universe. During a video broadcast on Nov. 7, scientists, engineers, and agency officials unveiled the telescope\u2019s first five images.<\/p>\n
The images reveal five targets at different distances, with the furthest, the Perseus Cluster of galaxies, being released first, followed by spiral galaxy IC 342, irregular galaxy NGC 6822, globular cluster NGC 6397, and finally the Horsehead Nebula. These targets were chosen to demonstrate the full potential of Euclid\u2019s two instruments, a visible-wavelength camera called the VISible instrument (VIS) and a near-infrared camera\/spectrometer called Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe images exceed expectations,\u201d said Euclid NL national project manager Edwin Valentijn of the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, in an interview with NSF. \u201cIt is unbelievable how well Euclid meets its specifications!\u201d<\/p>\n
However, this success was hardly guaranteed a few months ago when the telescope experienced issues during its commissioning phase. The problems delayed the start of Euclid\u2019s six-year mission by more than a month. With the issues resolved, the telescope can finally begin mapping a third of the sky to study dark matter and dark energy.<\/p>\n
Euclid\u2019s commissioning initially began without issues while the telescope was still on its way to Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2 (L2) after lifting off on July 1 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida. Problems arose soon after the telescope turned on its detectors for the first time, though.<\/p>\n