The European Space Agency (ESA) has released the first data from its Euclid space telescope, aiming to unveil dark matter and dark energy mysteries. The initial findings showcase three sky patches, displaying countless galaxies across a vast cosmic landscape. This region spans an area 300 times the size of the full Moon as seen from Earth.
Euclid, launched in 2023, is on a six-year mission to map more than a third of the sky. It will track the universe’s expansion, structure formation, and the role of gravity on a grand scale. The newly released data covers just 0.5% of its ultimate goal, yet it includes 26 million galaxies stretching up to 10.5 billion light-years away.
The universe, which began with the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, continues to expand. Its contents comprise ordinary matter, dark matter, and dark energy. Ordinary matter, including stars, planets, and dust, forms only 5% of the cosmos. Dark matter, an unseen substance, accounts for 27%, while dark energy, the force driving expansion, makes up 68%.
Euclid’s images reveal the cosmic web, a vast structure of galaxies separated by voids. This framework provides insights into dark matter and dark energy. Using high-resolution imaging and infrared technology, Euclid will eventually catalogue over 1.5 billion galaxies. Researchers have identified 500 gravitational lensing candidates, where dark matter bends light from distant galaxies.
ESA’s Carole Mundell calls Euclid a “dark detective,” highlighting its quest to uncover the 95% of the universe that remains unknown. A larger data release is planned for October 2026.
