Each galaxy on this map is a collection of tens of millions to billions of stars. vertigo!
2D maps created with data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys. The ultimate goal of this card is to learn more about dark energy. Scientists will select forty million galaxies for further research. Who knows, we might finally get the answer to the burning question: How has the universe expanded over the last twelve billion years?
What is dark energy?
It is estimated that about five percent of the universe consists of visible matter. Additionally, the universe is said to be composed of 70% dark energy: the still-mysterious driving force behind the accelerating expansion of the universe. But where exactly does this energy come from? This is a mystery to researchers. The other 25% is dark matter, which is also a headache for astronomers.
Scientists participating in research regularly release new data sets. It zooms in and out on a 2D map. This week, a tenth data set was added to the map, so now more than a billion galaxies can be admired. You can See the 2D map here. Try to zoom in infinity.
Infrared data provides more depth
The new data comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. At this time, half of the night sky is drawn on the map. In addition, the researchers added a color filter, which made it possible to see infrared images of objects.
“Now that infrared data has been added to the map, we can better calculate the redshift of distant galaxies,” said NOIRLab astronomer Alfredo Zentino. As galaxies move away from us, the spectrum of light they emit (or other electromagnetic radiation) shifts to longer wavelengths. Therefore, the light emitted from early galaxies was much redder than when it was emitted. By looking at the color of light, researchers can estimate how fast an object is moving away from us. “This way we can measure the amount of time it takes light to reach Earth.”
Anyone can tell
Everyone can see the 2D map. This not only makes it a prize for scientists but also makes it a gift for anyone who is passionate about astronomy. “Anyone can use research data to explore the universe and make discoveries,” said NOIRLab researcher Arjun Dey. “We hope that in the coming years the map will become the most complete map of the universe and a treasure trove for scientists.”
The end is not yet in sight
Many discoveries will be made in the coming years. Scientists previously discovered with permission from DESI Over 1,200 new gravity lenses. In addition, researchers are working on 3D map of tens of millions of galaxies.
