Skip to main content

Euclid mission launches to probe the mysteries of dark matter

The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched its Euclid space telescope to study the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy. The spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with liftoff at 11:12 a.m. ET (8:12 a.m. PT).

This artist’s concept shows the ESA (European Space Agency) Euclid mission in space.
This artist’s concept shows the ESA (European Space Agency) Euclid mission in space. ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

The space telescope separated from the Falcon 9 rocket and is now on its way to its orbit around the sun. It will orbit at the second Lagrange point, called L2, which is the same orbit used by the James Webb Space Telescope as well as other space telescopes. This orbit has the advantage of requiring minimal power to maintain and being extremely stable. That stability is important because the telescope will take very detailed images of large portions of the sky, and these need to be highly accurate to measure the subtle effects of dark matter and dark energy.

Recommended Videos

Unlike some telescopes like James Webb, which are folded up for launch and must unfold once they arrive in space, Euclid will only deploy a single high gain antenna as it travels to L2. That’s also due to the need for stability for the very sensitive readings it must take.

The idea of the Euclid mission is to examine some of the biggest questions in cosmology about the nature of dark matter and dark energy. To understand these phenomena, the mission will take images of over one-third of the sky, looking beyond the Milky Way at distant background galaxies. By looking at how galaxies cluster in space, researchers can see the effects of dark energy which affects the expansion of the universe. And by making use of a phenomenon called gravitational lensing, they can see the differences between the perceived and actual mass of galaxies — with the difference being due to dark matter.

“Today we celebrate the successful launch of a ground-breaking mission that places Europe at the forefront of cosmological studies,” said Carole Mundell, ESA’s Director of Science. “If we want to understand the Universe we live in, we need to uncover the nature of dark matter and dark energy and understand the role they played in shaping our cosmos. To address these fundamental questions, Euclid will deliver the most detailed map of the extra-galactic sky. This inestimable wealth of data will also enable the scientific community to investigate many other aspects of astronomy, for many years to come.”

Euclid is scheduled to arrive at its orbit at L2 in around four weeks’ time, where it will spend around two months preparing its instruments before beginning science operations.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
Euclid space telescope captures stunning images of far-off galaxies
This image is released as part of the Early Release Observations from ESA’s Euclid space mission. All data from these initial observations are made public on 23 May 2024 – including a handful of unprecedented new views of the nearby Universe, this being one. This breathtaking image features Messier 78 (the central and brightest region), a vibrant nursery of star formation enveloped in a shroud of interstellar dust. This image is unprecedented – it is the first shot of this young star-forming region at this width and depth.

This image is released as part of the Early Release Observations from ESA’s Euclid space mission. This breathtaking image features Messier 78 (the central and brightest region), a vibrant nursery of star formation enveloped in a shroud of interstellar dust. This image is unprecedented, as it is the first shot of this young star-forming region at this width and depth. ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi

New images from the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Euclid telescope show a gorgeous range of cosmic objects, from bustling stellar nurseries to enormous galaxy clusters. The first science data from the telescope has also been released, showing how the telescope will contribute to the study of dark matter and dark energy.

Read more
Dark Energy Camera captures the gorgeous ‘God’s Hand’ globule
This cloudy, ominous structure is CG 4, a cometary globule nicknamed ‘God’s Hand’. CG 4 is one of many cometary globules present within the Milky Way, and how these objects get their distinct form is still a matter of debate among astronomers. This image was captured by the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. In it, the features that classify CG 4 as a cometary globule are hard to miss. Its dusty head and long, faint tail vaguely resemble the appearance of a comet, though they have nothing in common. Astronomers theorize that cometary globules get their structure from the stellar winds of nearby hot, massive stars.

This cloudy, ominous structure is CG 4, a cometary globule nicknamed ‘God’s Hand’. CG 4 is one of many cometary globules present within the Milky Way, and how these objects get their distinct form is still a matter of debate among astronomers.  CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), D. de Martin & M. Zamani (NSF’s NOIRLab)

A stunning new image from the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) shows the glowing structures of the Gum Nebula illuminated by the hot, massive stars studded throughout this cloud of dust and gas. Located 1,300 light-years away in the constellation of Puppis, this image highlights an unusually shaped structure in the nebula that looks like a hand reaching out into space. Nicknamed "God's Hand," the structure is a type of object called a cometary globule.

Read more
Euclid space telescope’s vision cleared thanks to deicing
An artist's impression of ESA’s Euclid mission in space.

The Euclid Space Telescope is back to full operational capabilities after a deicing procedure removed small amounts of water ice from its mirror. As announced last week, some of the instruments on the European Space Agency (ESA) telescope were impeded by the buildup of ice due to water that got into the telescope from the atmosphere during its construction. This water was gradually released over time as the telescope was in space and froze in place.

Even though the ice was less than a nanometer thick, it was enough to impact the highly sensitive VISible instrument (VIS). Now, a mirror on the telescope has been gently warmed and the ice has melted away.

Read more