If you have been keeping up with astronomy news, you may know that the Euclid Space Telescope has been launched. This mission has the potential to solve some perplexing physics problems. In this article, we discuss how the Euclid Space Telescope works. We will also look at what its aims are.
This mission promises to unlock the mystery of dark matter and dark energy. At this point in time, we have very little understanding of these two important components of the Universe. The two have very important roles in the past development of the Universe and how it will develop in the future.
The spacecraft is named after Euclid of Alexandra, who lived around 300 BC. He is credited as being the father of geometry. You will soon find out why it is an apt name.
Read on to discover how the telescope works and what it will perform.
A caveat: this article was originally written two days after launching the spacecraft. At the time, it was still en route to its orbit location. However, the page has been updated to report on its progress. Later in the article an image captured by the spacecraft has been provided.
What is the Euclid Space Telescope?
The Euclid Space Telescope was launched on July 1st 2023, on a Falcon 9 rocket. It has a mass of 4780 lb (2160 kg). It is 15.4 ft (4.7 m) long and has a diameter of 12.1 ft (3.7 m).
The spacecraft has been developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) with contributions from NASA.
It comprises two parts: the payload module and the service module. The payload module contains the telescope and two cameras. The service module contains the support modules such as control systems, power generation and communications.
A shield protects the instruments from the sun’s heat. On the back of the shield are solar panels that provide power to operate the telescope.
The telescope’s primary mirror is 4 ft (1.2 m) wide. With a focal length of 80 ft (24.5 m) the telescope will have a resolution of 0.1 arcsec in visible light and 0.3 arcsec in the near-infrared. The field of view will be 0.91 degrees.
Euclid’s Optical Instruments
Euclid is equipped with two cameras that detect light at visible to near-infrared wavelengths. This range is within that of Hubble, but it will only cover about half of it.
Visible light is collected by the 600-megapixel VIS instrument. The image quality provided will be about four times that of ground-based telescopes. We will discuss the purpose of both cameras shortly.
Near-infrared light is captured by the 65-million megapixel NISP (Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer) instrument. As the name suggests, this instrument is equipped with a spectrometer and a photometer).
Euclid’s Launch and Final Position
Euclid took a month to travel to its final location. Its final location is an orbit around Lagrange point number 2 (L2). This point exists directly behind the Earth from the Sun at a distance of about 932,000 miles (1.5 million km). The location of L2 is shown on the right (NASA).
L2 is a special place where the combined gravities of the Sun and Earth create a point where small objects can achieve a stable orbit. An added benefit is that the point moves as the Earth does. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) also orbits this location.
After reaching its final location, three months of commissioning were complete before data collection began.
During commissioning, some test images were taken.
During the commissioning, some issues were experienced. It was found that the telescope lost track of the stars it used to keep the instrument aligned. To resolve this issue, a software upgrade was performed.
Euclid was designed to shield its light detectors from the Sun. However, it was discovered that some light was getting past the shielding and affecting the images. Also, x-rays from solar flairs were affecting the images.
The imaging program has been redesigned to mitigate the light and x-ray issues. This redesigning will be such that will avoid orientations likely to allow the extra light to intrude and block the x-rays.
Euclid’s Mission: How Will Euclid Work
While Euclid will join JWST at L2, its mission is very different. JWSP is available to researchers, and its targets are selected every year. Euclid has a single mission: to map a significant part of the sky. It is called a survey mission. It will provide the most detailed map of the Universe to date.
The planned mission length is for at least six years. During this time, it will map the locations of billions of galaxies. If there is enough propulsion fuel left, it will be extended. It is possible that the aims of the extension will be different to that of its primary mission.
As mentioned earlier, the telescope uses two optical instruments. The VIS instrument records visible light. It will image objects out to about 10 billion light years away. The primary aim of this image is to record the 2D location and shape of galaxies.
The NISP instrument data will obtain spectra from the same galaxies. From this spectra, the redshift of the galaxies can be determined. From the measured redshift, we can determine the distance to the galaxies. Redshift is caused by the expansion of space.
What will Euclid Space Telescope Data Be Used for
Combining the two data sets, we obtain a 3D map of the Universe in the areas imaged. Because light takes time to reach us, the shape of the galaxies we see is how they appeared in the distant past. Using this fact, we can interpret how galaxies develop over time. It is a bit like attending a family gathering that contains family members, from young children to those in their golden years. Just from that situation, we can determent how humans develop.
With the detailed map, we can study the distribution and properties of dark matter. This will be possible by studying the effect of its mass on passing light. Dark matter governs the growth of galaxies. We provide brief descriptions of dark matter and dark energy below.
The last goal of the mission is to measure changes in the expansion of the Universe. Again this is due to viewing far into the distant past. The expansion of the Universe is a function of dark energy.
While it is not a primary aim, the mission will provide much unplanned data. While data is being gathered from distant galaxies other objects will also be imaged. These might be supernovae, exoplanets or events in our solar system like comets.
What Will Be Imaged
During the mission, about one-third of the sky will be imaged. This is because a significant part of the sky is masked at visible light wavelengths. The disk of our galaxy obscures part of the sky. Dust and other phenomena stop the light from the galaxies behind from passing.
Besides our galaxy’s dusty disk dust in our solar system also blocks light. This dust reflects light and produces what we call zodiacal light.
In summary, Euclid’s primary mission is the map the 3D location of galaxies out to 10 billion light years in a significant part of the sky. With this data we hope to discover the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Furthermore, it is hoped that this will reveal the development of the Universe.
As promised, we will now briefly examine dark matter and energy.
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
Dark matter and energy dictate the structure of the Universe and how it develops. With our current understanding, we think that of all the energy (by this we also mean matter) in the Universe only about 5% is visible with our current instruments. A further 27% is dark matter, and a whopping 68% is dark energy.
We will now have a look at dark matter and dark energy.
Dark Matter
Fritz Zwicky found the first evidence of dark matter. He discovered that the visible mass of galaxy clusters was too small to stop individual galaxies from escaping the clusters.
In the 1970’s Vera Rubin was studying the rotation of galaxies. She found that the galaxies she studied did not rotate as expected. Like in our solar system, objects further from the center of the galaxies should rotate at a slower pace than those closer. The only explanation for this is if there is significant mass outside of the visible matter in galaxies.
Dark matter is called so because we can not detect any radiation from it. We can, however, detect its warping of space-time (or more simply by its gravitational effect of light and other matter). Dark matter is found in galaxy clusters (because it holds them together and adds to gravitational lensing) and surrounding galaxies.
Dark matter is an area of a lot of research. We are not sure what it is. Things such as small undetectable concentrations of normal matter have been ruled out. It may be weakly interacting particles (cold dark matter) or high energy particles (hot dark matter) that move randomly around the Universe. Another possibility is that our understanding of gravity is incomplete and requires a different approach.
Dark Energy
While we know little of dark matter we know even less about dark energy. Dark energy is an unknown form of energy that affects the Universe at large scales.
Early cosmology studies indicated that the universe’s expansion should be slowing. This was concluded by studying the amount and distribution of the known matter and energy.
The first evidence of dark energy came from the study of supernovas. It was found that the expansion of the Universe was accelerating. The depressing conclusion of his observation is that the Universe will be dark and cold in the distant future.
One proposal for dark energy is space itself. Space has its own energy, and as the Universe expands the amount of energy is not diluted. A result is that expansion increases the amount of energy, driving further expansion.
Another explanation comes from quantum mechanics (QM). In QM, virtual particles come into existence and quickly disappear in a vacuum. However, with our current understanding of QM the predicted amount of energy produced is too high.
Dark energy could also be a dynamic fluid or field. This fills space and acts in an opposite way as does gravity.
As with dark matter, it is also possible that our understanding of gravity is not quite correct.
Final Words
The aims of the Euclid Space Telescope are:
- Map the location of dark matter and determine its properties
- Discover how galaxies develop over time
- Measure the change in the Universe’s expansion over time
We hope this has provided the information you are after and enjoyed the read.
For more information on the mission, see ESA’s Euclid page.
Update 1: in November 2023, the first images from this telescope were released. They can be found at Euclid’s first images: the dazzling edge of darkness.
Update 2: On February 24, 2024, the Euclid Spacecraft commenced its primary survey. During this period, images are being released to the public. An example is M78, which is located in the Orion constellation.
M78 is a complex of reflection and dark nebula. It is an area of active star formation. The image taken by Euclid was taken at visible and infrared wavelengths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Euclid is designed to last at least six years. This is the length of time required to achieve its primary mission. If enough fuel remains, the mission will be extended. What the spacecraft does after six years may not be related to its primary mission.
The cost of the mission is 1.5 billion Euros.
Euclid will not orbit the Earth. It will orbit a point 932,000 miles (1.5 million km) from Earth. It is the same point that the James Webb Space Telescope orbits.
Astronomy has very large benefits for our society. It drives innovation and has the ability to inspire people. For more information, see Why is Astronomy Important?
I found astronomy while working in dark rural locations. Initially, I explored the night sky and learnt the constellations before purchasing a pair of binoculars to further my knowledge of the sky.
My first telescope was a 200 mm Newtonian reflector on an equatorial mount. I found that this telescope had a steep learning curve but was a rewarding experience.
As time progressed, I became interested in astrophotography. This resulted in purchasing a 110 mm refracting telescope and a dedicated monochrome-cooled astronomical camera. This resulted in another very rewarding steep learning curve that far surpassed the experience with my first telescope.
I have joined Telescope Guru to share my knowledge of telescopes and astronomy.
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