New Space Telescope, Euclid, Set to Launch on July 1
The highly anticipated Euclid space telescope is scheduled to launch on the morning of July 1st (US time), promising to unlock the mysteries of the universe. This cutting-edge technology will delve into billions of galaxies and observe the last 10 billion years of cosmic history, shedding light on two enigmatic puzzles: dark matter and dark energy.
“Euclidean is not just a space telescope. It’s actually a dark energy detector,” revealed Rene Loreis, the mission’s project scientist, during a recent press briefing.
The European Space Agency (ESA), dedicatedly working on this mission for over a decade, announced on July 1st at 11:11 ET (0:11 GMT on July 2nd) that the Euclid Space Telescope will take off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
With an extensive field of view covering more than one-third of the sky, the Euclid Space Telescope has the remarkable ability to map the vast cosmic landscape beyond the disk of our very own Milky Way galaxy.
This broad observational reach presents scientists with a unique opportunity to closely examine the ongoing acceleration of the universe’s expansion. This mysterious phenomenon is believed to be propelled by an imperceptible force known as dark energy.
Curiously, our understanding of the universe is still limited to a mere 5%. The atoms constituting ordinary matter, such as planets, humans, stars, and even toasters, account for this minuscule fraction.
However, a study conducted using another ESA space telescope, Planck, indicates that dark matter occupies around 25% of the universe. This concealed framework of the cosmos dictates the formation and arrangement of galaxies. Elusive dark energy remains the final piece of the cosmic puzzle, an elusive force yet to be fully grasped.
The evolution of the universe hinges on the expansion fueled by dark energy. Billions of years ago, dark energy assumed a central role, ensuring not only the continuation of cosmic expansion but its acceleration as well.
Unraveling the Enigma of the “Cosmological Constant”
One crucial parameter that Loreis and his colleagues intend to scrutinize is the weight-to-density ratio of dark energy in the universe, labeled as ‘w’. This concept can be traced back to Einstein’s proposition known as the “cosmological constant.” According to this theory, despite the universe seemingly brimming with empty space, it possesses its own energy inextricably linked to gravity.
If the hypothesis holds true, the pressure exerted by dark energy should accurately equate to the negative value of its energy density. In other words, if dark energy aligns with the cosmological constant, w is expected to equal -1.
Preliminary studies appear to support this notion, albeit beset by notable uncertainties inherent in earlier telescope investigations.
Should the data collected by the Euclid Space Telescope enhance the precision of w’s measurement, any deviation from -1 would necessitate reevaluating the cosmological constant as the definitive explanation behind the escalating expansion of the universe. Furthermore, it would provide crucial insights into whether w has fluctuated throughout cosmic history.
The new space telescope, Euclid, is scheduled to launch on the morning of July 1 (US time). The space telescope, which has the potential to answer the biggest questions of the universe, will explore billions of galaxies and examine the last 10 billion years of the universe if all goes according to plan. And it should give astrophysicists the data they need to better understand two unsolved mysteries: dark matter and dark energy.
“Euclidean is not just a space telescope. It’s actually a dark energy detector,” said Rene Loreis, the mission’s project scientist, at a press briefing in late June.
The European Space Agency (ESA), which has been working on this mission for more than a decade, announced at 11:11 ET on July 1 (0:11 GMT on July 2) that the Euclid Space Telescope will be launched in Florida from Cape. Canaveral, NY. Euclid will be carried into space by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The Euclid Space Telescope covers more than one-third of the sky. That’s pretty much the entire range this telescope can map without covering the disk of the Milky Way galaxy.
Such a wide observational range allows scientists to study in detail how the expansion of the universe has continued to accelerate. A theoretical invisible energy called dark energy is believed to be the cause of the accelerating expansion.
In fact, astrophysicists only understand about 5% of the universe. In other words, we only understand the atoms that make up ordinary matter, like stars and planets, humans and toasters.
However, according to a study using another ESA space telescope, Planck, around 25% of the universe is dark matter. Dark matter, the hidden scaffolding of the universe, determines where and how galaxies form. All that remains is dark energy, a (theoretical) repulsive force that he doesn’t find.
The evolution of the universe is shaped by the expansion of the universe by dark energy. The fact that dark energy became the main building block of the universe billions of years ago ensured that the universe would not only continue to expand, but would also accelerate.
Approaching the mystery of the “cosmological constant”
A key parameter that Lawreys and colleagues hope to investigate is the weight-to-density ratio of dark energy in the universe, known as ‘w’. Einstein made a hypothesis called the “cosmological constant”. In other words, although the universe is filled with empty space, it nevertheless has its own energy, and that energy is coupled with gravity.
If this hypothesis is true, the dark energy pressure should be equal to the negative of the energy density. In other words, if dark energy is the cosmological constant, then w=-1.
According to previous studies, this appears to be the case. However, there have been large uncertainties in their measurements in previous telescope studies.
If data from the Euclid Space Telescope makes the measurement of w more accurate, and if it is anything other than -1, then the cosmological constant is the correct explanation for the acceleration of the universe’s expansion. It will also tell us whether w has changed throughout the history of the universe.
#solve #mystery #dark #energy #Euclidean #space #telescope #launched #WIRED.jp
