ESA's Euclid Telescope Unveils First Section of Largest-Ever Cosmic Map

The detailed mosaic captures millions of stars and galaxies, offering insights into dark matter and dark energy.

The Euclid space telescope, launched by the European Space Agency in 2023, aims to create a 3D cosmic map covering one-third of the sky over six years.
The first section of the map, revealed at the International Astronautical Congress, includes 260 observations from March to April 2024, covering 132 square degrees of the southern sky.
This initial mosaic contains a 208-gigapixel image showcasing around 100 million celestial sources, including 14 million galaxies.
Euclid's mission is to study dark matter and dark energy, which comprise 96% of the universe, by observing the distribution and movement of galaxies.
The telescope's advanced imaging capabilities allow scientists to explore phenomena like the 'galactic cirrus' and the structure of distant galaxies with unprecedented detail.