Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




SPACE SCOPES
Looking into the dark: Ahead with the Euclid mission
by Staff Writers
Munich, Germany (SPX) Jun 26, 2012


Artist's impression of Euclid. Credits: ESA - C. Carreau.

On 19 June 2012, the European Space Agency (ESA) formally adopted the largest collaboration of astronomers in the World, including scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics to help build the Euclid satellite. Euclid will study the ``Dark Universe" with great precision, tracing the distribution and evolution of the enigmatic dark matter and dark energy throughout the Universe.

"This is it", says Yannick Mellier from the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP), and the lead of the Euclid Consortium (EC) selected by ESA, "ESA and the Euclid Consortium have worked for over 5 years to get to this point and now we are formally adopted to help build this exciting new space mission."

ESA today also endorsed a Multilateral Agreement (MLA) between thirteen European space agencies, NASA, and the Euclid Consortium, for the construction of key elements of the Euclid satellite, specifically the onboard instruments, software for analysing the data and the satellites scientific leadership.

"We have put together a fantastic team", continues Mellier, "with nearly 1000 scientists involved in our collaboration from across Europe and other parts of the World. We have experts in all aspects of astronomy, physics, satellite and software design."

The Euclid Consortium will provide two instruments to ESA, a visible imaging instrument, VIS, and a near infrared imaging and spectrograph instrument, NISP. These state-of-the-art instruments, equipped with wide field cameras, will create a huge amount of exceptional quality data over a large fraction of the sky.

Scientists at the MPE are responsible for the overall optical design of the near-infrared instrument; the institute will procure all lenses and their mounts and perform the corresponding functionality tests. The Ludwig Maximilians-University (LMU) is co-leading the preparation of ground-based complementary data and their merging with the Euclid visual and infrared data.

Both institutes are represented in several science working groups, in the Euclid Consortium Board and the ESA Science Team.

Moreover, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg will develop and manufacture the broad band filters as well as setting up the scientific data centre; the Argelander Institute for Astronomy (AIfA) at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn will contribute to the software development and the scientific data centre.

"Euclid will provide a wealth of data on the three dimensional matter distribution in the universe", explains Ralf Bender from MPE, the German representative in the Euclid Board. "Not only will this give us interesting insights into the evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters, we will also be able to better understand the accelerating expansion of the universe. Hopefully, this will bring us a big step forward in solving the riddle that is Dark Energy."

Euclid will use a 1.2-m diameter telescope and the two instruments to map the three-dimensional distribution of some two billion galaxies and of the dark matter that surrounds them, over one third of the whole sky. Stretched across ten billion light years of the Universe, the results of the mission will plot the evolution of structure over three-quarters of its history.

Euclid is now an official ESA mission and solidifies the Euclid Consortium at forefront of worldwide research into the "Dark Universe". German contributions to the Euclid mission are supported substantially by the DLR space administration with funds provided by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

.


Related Links
Max-Planck-Institut fur extraterrestrische Physik
Space Telescope News and Technology at Skynightly.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








SPACE SCOPES
First Flight Instrument Delivered for James Webb
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 21, 2012
George Rieke, MIRI Science Team Lead at University of Arizona, Tucson, noted, "MIRI is the first Webb instrument to be delivered, the result of teamwork in the U.S. and internationally." MIRI will observe light with wavelengths in the mid-infrared range of 5 microns to 28 microns, which is a longer wavelength than human eyes can detect. It is the only instrument of the four with this parti ... read more


SPACE SCOPES
ESA to catch laser beam from Moon mission

Researchers Estimate Ice Content of Crater at Moon's South Pole

Researchers find evidence of ice content at the moon's south pole

Nanoparticles found in moon glass bubbles explain weird lunar soil behaviour

SPACE SCOPES
NASA tweaks flight path of Mars mission

Extensive Water in Mars Interior

Orbiter Out of Precautionary 'Safe Mode'

Researchers calculate size of particles in Martian clouds of CO2 snow

SPACE SCOPES
XCOR and Excalibur Almaz sign MOU for suborbital training services

Complex Challenges Solved In Tech Meetings For Commercial Crew Program

Boeing Completes Key Reviews of Space Launch System

Two NASA Visualizations Selected for Computers Graphics Showcase

SPACE SCOPES
Experts respond to rumors about Shenzhou-9

Staying stimulated in space

China's Hu praises astronauts for space advance

Packing Up Tiangong

SPACE SCOPES
New Space Station Crew Confirmed

Spacewalk to work on ISS scheduled

Did You Say 1.2 Billion Particles Per Month?

Varied Views from the ISS

SPACE SCOPES
USAF officials announce milestone Atlas V launch

EVE Underflight Calibration Sounding Rocket Launch

ILS and AsiaSat Announce a New Contract for an ILS Proton Launch

A milestone in launcher preparations for Arianespace's fourth Ariane 5 flight of 2012

SPACE SCOPES
Forgotten Star Cluster Useful For Solar Science And Search for Earth Like Planets

SciTechTalk: Quick, name the planets!

Where Are The Metal Worlds And Is The Answer Blowing In The Wind

Metal-poor stars are rich with small planets

SPACE SCOPES
India readies upgrade of 'world's cheapest' tablet

Google to talk tablets, TV, social and more

NuSTAR Mission Status Report: Observatory Unfurls its Unique Mast

Toxic legacy in Malaysia rare-earths village




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement