News Archive 2023
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28-Nov-2023
Space Team Europe for Euclid: Henk Hoekstra
Henk Hoekstra, professor of observational cosmology at Leiden University, the Netherlands, shares his professional trajectory linked to weak gravitational lensing, a technique used by ESA's Euclid mission.
Henk explains how Euclid will reveal the dark side of the Universe. He uses enlightening examples involving a swimming pool and other terrestrial objects. Listen to Henk Hoekstra to understand how Euclid can make the invisible visible.
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07-Nov-2023
Euclid's view of the Horsehead Nebula
Euclid shows us a spectacularly panoramic and detailed view of the Horsehead Nebula, also known as Barnard 33 and part of the constellation Orion.
At approximately 1375 light-years away, the Horsehead - visible as a dark cloud shaped like a horse's head - is the closest giant star-forming region to Earth. It sits just to the south of star Alnitak, the easternmost of Orion's famous three-star belt, and is part of the vast Orion molecular cloud.
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07-Nov-2023
Euclid's view of globular cluster NGC 6397
This sparkly image shows Euclid's view on a globular cluster called NGC 6397. Globular clusters are collections of hundreds of thousands of stars held together by gravity.
Located about 7800 light-years from Earth, NGC 6397 is the second-closest globular cluster to us. Together with other globular clusters it orbits in the disc of the Milky Way, where the majority of stars are located.
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07-Nov-2023
Euclid's view of irregular galaxy NGC 6822
To create a 3D map of the Universe, Euclid will observe the light from galaxies out to 10 billion light-years. Most galaxies in the early Universe don't look like a neat spiral but are irregular and small. They are the building blocks for bigger galaxies like our own.
This first irregular dwarf galaxy that Euclid observed is called NGC 6822 and is located close by, just 1.6 million light-years from Earth. It is a member of the same galaxy cluster as the Milky Way (called the Local Group), and was discovered in 1884. In 1925 Edwin Hubble was the first to identify NGC 6822 as a 'remote stellar system' well beyond the Milky Way.
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07-Nov-2023
Euclid's view of spiral galaxy IC 342
Over its lifetime, our dark Universe detective will image billions of galaxies, revealing the hidden influence that dark matter and dark energy have on them.
That's why it's fitting that one of the first galaxies that Euclid observed is nicknamed the 'Hidden Galaxy'. This galaxy, also known as IC 342 or Caldwell 5, is difficult to observe because it lies behind the busy disc of our Milky Way, and so dust, gas and stars obscure our view.
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07-Nov-2023
Euclid's view of the Perseus cluster of galaxies
This incredible snapshot from Euclid is a revolution for astronomy. The image shows 1000 galaxies belonging to the Perseus Cluster, and more than 100 000 additional galaxies further away in the background, each containing up to hundreds of billions of stars.
Many of these faint galaxies were previously unseen. Some of them are so distant that their light has taken 10 billion years to reach us. By mapping the distribution and shapes of these galaxies, cosmologists will be able to find out more about how dark matter shaped the Universe that we see today.
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03-Nov-2023
Preparing for Euclid's first images: from puzzling data to dazzling views
On Tuesday 7 November, ESA will release the first full-colour images captured by its recently launched Euclid space telescope. These images form part of the mission's 'Early Release Observations' – where Euclid was tasked with scrutinising a set of celestial targets chosen for their public appeal and scientific value.
The five images are full of cosmic secrets waiting to be revealed. And this is just the beginning. During its six-year mission, Euclid will generate the equivalent of a million DVDs of data.
In this video, hear from the experts about how Euclid has reached this milestone.
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31-Oct-2023
How to watch the reveal of Euclid’s first images live
ESA is releasing the first full-colour images of the cosmos captured by its recently launched space telescope Euclid. Follow live a broadcast of the reveal on Tuesday 7 November at 13:15 GMT / 14:15 CET. Never before has a telescope been able to create such razor-sharp astronomical images across such a large patch of the sky.
Five images show that the telescope is ready for its mission to create the most extensive 3D map of the Universe yet and uncover some of its hidden secrets.
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31-Oct-2023
Euclid: Gate to the dark
ESA's Euclid mission is on a quest to unveil the nature of two elusive 'dark' entities. As the renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking remarked in 2013, "The missing link in cosmology is the nature of dark matter and dark energy".
This video captures the journey behind the Euclid mission, from a human and intensely visual perspective. Be drawn in by awe-inspiring photos of the cosmos, and stay for the seemingly choreographed ballet of teamwork necessary to assemble and test the spacecraft, before being swept away by the emotion of the launch into space.
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26-Sep-2023
Seeking Euclid's hidden stars: commissioning looks up
The Universe doesn't give up its secrets easily. Dark energy and dark matter do not emit, absorb or reflect light, so have not yet been seen. This is why we call Euclid our cosmic detective; its goal is no less than to understand the secret structure and make-up of our Universe. Euclid's engineers and scientists have now also donned their Sherlock Holmes hats, coats and pipes, as they work on three issues that have arisen during Euclid's commissioning.
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18-Sep-2023
Follow Euclid's first months in space
Follow Euclid on its journey to Lagrange point L2 and find out how mission controllers at ESOC in Darmstadt are proceeding with turning on, checking and calibrating the spacecraft's equipment, the telescope and scientific instruments, as they prepare for routine science observations.
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09-Aug-2023
The Universe in a box: preparing for Euclid's survey
ESA's Euclid mission will create a 3D-map of the Universe that scientists will use to measure the properties of dark energy and dark matter. But dealing with the huge and detailed set of novel data that Euclid observations will produce is not an easy task. To prepare for this, scientists in the Euclid Consortium have developed one of the most accurate and comprehensive computer simulations of the large-scale structure of the Universe ever produced. They named this the Euclid Flagship simulation.
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31-Jul-2023
Euclid First Light Images
Explore the first images release from the Euclid space telescope. Discover the full-field-of-view and zoomed-in versions of the VIS (VISible imager) and NISP (Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer) images, along with the intriguing NISP grism image. Delve into the fascinating story behind capturing these visuals, the meticulous procedures involved, and the team's dedication throughout this remarkable journey.
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31-Jul-2023
Euclid test images tease of riches to come
Euclid's two instruments have captured their first test images. The mesmerising results indicate that the space telescope will achieve the scientific goals that it has been designed for - and possibly much more.
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28-Jul-2023
Webb and Gaia welcome Euclid to L2
In the month after its launch on 1 July, Euclid has travelled 1.5 million kilometres from Earth towards the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2, meaning it has 'arrived' at its destination orbit.
This animation showcases the orbits of Euclid (green), the James Webb Space Telescope (blue), and the Gaia mission (yellow) around this unique position in space. The positions of the spacecraft in this animation don't correspond to their current positions in space.
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11-Jul-2023
Follow Euclid's first months in space
Follow Euclid on its journey to Lagrange point L2 and find out how mission controllers at ESOC in Darmstadt are proceeding with turning on, checking and calibrating the spacecraft's equipment, the telescope and scientific instruments, as they prepare for routine science observations.
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01-Jul-2023
Launch broadcast replay
Watch a replay of the launch broadcast for ESA's Euclid.
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01-Jul-2023
ESA's Euclid lifts off on quest to unravel the cosmic mystery of dark matter and dark energy
ESA's Euclid spacecraft lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA, at 17:12 CEST on 1 July 2023. The successful launch marks the beginning of an ambitious mission to uncover the nature of two mysterious components of our Universe: dark matter and dark energy, and to help us answer the fundamental question: what is the Universe made of?
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How to follow the Euclid launch live
ESA will be broadcasting live as the Euclid space telescope, which will explore the dark Universe, is targeted to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA, at 11:11 local time / 15:11 UTC / 17:11 CEST on Saturday 1 July 2023. A back-up launch date of Sunday 2 July 2023 is foreseen.
Here's how to follow the launch online.
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30-Jun-2023
Euclid: preparing for launch
ESA's mission Euclid is getting ready for lift-off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA, with a target launch date of 1 July 2023.
Between 23 and 28 June, Euclid was mounted atop the Falcon 9 adaptor, encapsulated in the rocket fairing, and transported to the Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40). These photos capture the key milestones in this process.
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29-Jun-2023
Euclid: Ready for launch
ESA's Euclid space telescope is nearly ready for launch. The spacecraft arrived in Florida on 30 April for final tests and checks, and now being integrated with the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will carry it into space.
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29-Jun-2023
Last glimpse of Euclid on Earth
On 27 June, this last glimpse of ESA's Euclid space telescope was caught right before it was encapsulated by a SpaceX Falcon 9 fairing, meaning that the nose of the rocket was installed over the spacecraft.
Euclid is 4.7 m tall and 3.7 m in diameter, fitting nicely in the Falcon 9 fairing with height of 13.1 m and width of 5.2 m.
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27-Jun-2023
Euclid ready for Falcon 9
After being secured to the SpaceX Falcon 9 adaptor, on Friday 23 June, Euclid was mounted on top of the Payload Attach Fitting (PAF). Before launch, Euclid on the PAF will be encapsulated in the Falcon 9 rocket. ESA's new cosmological mission Euclid is getting ready for lift-off with a target launch date of 1 July 2023 from Cape Canaveral in Florida (USA).
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26-Jun-2023
Euclid meets Falcon 9 adaptor
On Friday 23 June, Euclid was secured to the adaptor of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Engineers fastened the satellite to the adaptor that will be placed on the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, which will launch Euclid into space. ESA's new cosmological mission Euclid is getting ready for lift-off with a target launch date of 1 July 2023 from Cape Canaveral in Florida (USA).
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21-Jun-2023
Euclid launch date announced
Euclid will be launched on Saturday, 1st July 2023
ESA and SpaceX are targeting 11:12 a.m. EDT (17:12 CEST, 15:12 UTC) Saturday, July 1, with a backup date on Sunday, July 2, to launch ESA's Euclid mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the Earth-Sun Lagrange point 2 (L2) on a SpaceX Falcon 9.
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19-Jun-2023
Euclid fuelled for launch
ESA's Euclid gets fuelled inside an Astrotech facility near Cape Canaveral in Florida (USA) ahead of its launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9.
The Euclid spacecraft is supplied with two types of propellant: hydrazine and gaseous nitrogen. Ten hydrazine thrusters will provide chemical propulsion to complete the journey to Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2, perform monthly manoeuvres to stay in orbit, and dispose of the spacecraft at the end of the mission's life.
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19-Jun-2023
Euclid: ESA's mission into the unknown
ESA's Euclid mission is designed to bring the dark side of the Universe to light. Based on the way galaxies rotate and orbit one another, and the way in which the Universe is expanding, astronomers believe that two unseen entities dominate the composition of our cosmos. They call these mysterious components dark matter and dark energy, yet to date we have not been able to detect either of them directly, only inferring their presence from the effects they have on the Universe at large.
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26-May-2023
Frequently asked questions about Euclid
Why are we interested in dark matter and dark energy? What can Euclid do that the James Webb Space Telescope cannot? What will Euclid's image quality be? Why must Euclid observe so many (billions of) galaxies?...
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16-May-2023
Euclid launch kit
View or download this interactive launch kit to learn more about the Euclid mission and its science goals.
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03-May-2023
Euclid arrives at launch site
ESA's Euclid spacecraft finished its ocean cruise safe and sound on 30 April at Port Canaveral in Florida. Subsequently, the satellite was moved by road to the Astrotech facility near Cape Canaveral.
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19-Apr-2023
Smooth sailing, Euclid
The Euclid satellite embarked on the next leg of the 1.5 million km long journey to space from where it will unlock the mysteries of the dark Universe.
Following extensive environmental and mechanical tests at Thales Alenia Space's plant in Cannes, the Euclid satellite was transported by exceptional convoy to the port of Savona, Italy, on 14 April. Read more
04-Apr-2023
Top five mysteries Euclid will help solve
Peering into the Universe beyond our galaxy, Euclid will try to untangle the mysteries of the cosmic web, and how invisible dark matter and exotic dark energy influence the structure and the course of the cosmos.
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02-Feb-2023
Euclid’s treasure trove
Euclid was primarily designed to study the composition and evolution of the Universe at the largest scales. However, Euclid's unprecedented survey will also be a treasure trove of information about the physics of individual stars and galaxies.
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02-Feb-2023
The dark Universe
The Euclid mission aims to uncover the mysteries of the dark Universe. This ominous-sounding invisible part of the cosmos makes up more than 95% of the mass and energy in our Universe. But what is it?
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02-Feb-2023
Euclid's instruments
To map the Universe and see how it evolved over time, Euclid examines light from distant galaxies using two scientific instruments on board, VIS and NISP.
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