On March 19, 2025, the first dataset from the Euclid mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) was released. The first observation of 63 square degrees of the sky already offers an extraordinary preview of the grand cosmic atlas that Euclid is building, designed to provide the most precise map of the Universe across cosmic epochs.
The first results are described in 34 scientific papers [1].
KEY DATA:
- 26 million galaxies mapped in just one week of observations.
- Numerous galaxy clusters, active galactic nuclei, and transients were identified.
- 3 fields explored: Euclid Deep Field North, Fornax, and South.
- The most distant observed galaxies are up to 10.5 billion light-years away.
- 380,000 galaxies classified thanks to artificial intelligence and citizen science.
- 500 gravitational lensing candidates identified.
Instrument Performance Testing: The Visible instrument (VIS) will collect high-resolution images of the shape and distribution of billions of galaxies and the Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) will allow to measure galaxy distances and masses.
Launched in July 2023, the Euclid spacecraft orbits 1.5 million km from Earth. By the end of its nominal mission, scheduled for 2031, it will map one-third of the sky, revealing billions of galaxies and providing crucial data to uncover the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, which make up 95% of the Universe.
Euclid's "quick releases", like the one on March 19, 2025, offer selected data previews, allowing scientists to refine analysis tools in preparation for future publications. The mission's first major cosmological data release is scheduled for October 2026.
The Department of Physics is participating in the mission, and Prof. Marina Migliaccio coordinates the CMBX Science Working Group of the collaboration.
LEARN MORE:
ESA Press Release: link [2]
Euclid Consortium Press Release: link [3]
