A European space telescope called Euclid has captured detailed images of a huge cluster of young stars, adding to its growing collection of stunning space photos.
The European Space Agency (ESA) shared these new pictures on Thursday, which were taken after the telescope was launched from Florida last year.
These images serve as a warm-up for Euclid’s primary mission, which is currently underway: exploring the mysterious “dark universe.”
Euclid is positioned 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away from Earth. Over the next few years, it will observe billions of galaxies across more than a third of the sky.
By studying the shape and size of these countless galaxies, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of dark energy and dark matter, which make up most of the universe but remain largely unknown.
ESA’s Director General, Josef Aschbacher, expressed excitement about Euclid’s journey, stating, “Euclid is at the very beginning of its exciting journey to map the structure of the universe.”
Among the newly released images is a picture of Messier 78, a massive stellar nursery located about 1,300 light-years away from Earth. One light-year is an immense distance, equivalent to 5.8 trillion miles. Euclid’s infrared camera was able to see through the dust surrounding this region, revealing new areas where stars are forming.
The Euclid mission is a significant step forward in our understanding of the universe. By studying the dark universe, which makes up approximately 95% of the cosmos, scientists hope to unravel some of the greatest mysteries in astronomy.
The telescope’s ability to capture detailed images of distant galaxies and star-forming regions will provide invaluable data for researchers working to expand our knowledge of the universe’s structure and evolution.
As Euclid continues its mission, we can expect to see many more breathtaking images and groundbreaking discoveries in the years to come.
Take a look —
A fantastic @ESA_Euclid image of the star-forming region Messier 78, which is about 1,300 light-years away. pic.twitter.com/plvhaCNtBX
— Mario Livio (@Mario_Livio) May 30, 2024
The Associated Press contributed to this article.