The European Space Agency's Euclid telescope has released its initial data from its mission to map the universe, spotlighting significant astronomical discoveries. This first data set contains deep field images from only one week of observations, totaling just 0.4% of Euclid's planned survey area. Remarkably, it identifies 26 million galaxies, some located 10.5 billion light years away, offering a glimpse of the universe's early years. Notably, Euclid has detected a new abundance of gravitational lenses—distortions caused by massive objects bending light, more than doubling the known count and forecasting a total of 100,000 to be revealed by the mission's end.
The European Space Agency's Euclid mission has released initial data that could significantly reshape our understanding of dark matter and the universe's expansion.
Euclid's data reveals 26 million galaxies, many billions of years old, and confirms Albert Einstein's theory about gravity's effect on light.
Gravitational lensing, including new discoveries of double lensing, demonstrates the distortion of light and may yield crucial insights into cosmic structures.
By the end of its mission, Euclid aims to uncover 100,000 strong gravitational lenses, vastly exceeding current counts and deepening our cosmic knowledge.
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