Soon, a telescope that can scan 2bn galaxies

Soon, a telescope that can scan 2bn galaxies

London: A new telescope being built by the European Space Agency (ESA) will map the shape, brightness and 3D distribution of two billion galaxies covering more than a third of the whole sky and looking back over three-quarters of the history of the universe. To be launched in 2020, Euclid’s 1.2 metre diameter telescope is the most ambitious mission to date to map the geometry of the universe.
    Scientists hope it will help solve key problems in the understanding of the evolution and fate of our expanding cosmos: the roles played by dark matter and dark energy. Dark matter is invisible, but has gravity and acts to slow the expansion. Dark energy, however, seems to be accelerating the expansion seen around us today. Together, these two components are thought to comprise more than 95% of the mass and energy of the universe, with normal matter and energy making up the remaining small fraction. But what they are remains a profound mystery.
    To map the distribution and evolution of dark energy and dark matter in the universe, Euclid requires crisp deep images with sharpness similar to that obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope but over a huge area, some 40% of the sky.
    It will make high-precision measurements of billions of distant galaxies, using a technique called ‘gravitational lensing’.
    The mission will effectively look back in time about 10 billion years, covering the period over which dark energy seems to have accelerated the universe’s expansion.
    For the full story log on to www.timesofindia.com
Curiosity begins journey to its main destination
    Nasa’s Curiosity, which has been notching up one success after another, has begun its journey to the base of the mission’s main destination, Mount Sharp on the Red Planet, according to an announcement by the space agency on Tuesday. The journey to Mount Sharp is expected to take several months. Mount Sharp, in the middle of Gale Crater, exposes many layers where scientists anticipate finding evidence about how the ancient Martian environment changed and evolved, states Nasa.

RED SHOT: A Nasa photo shows a section of Gale Crater on Mars