The universe is still an enigma to be explained by science. Despite years of research and studies by researchers and scientists, We still cannot completely map the boundaries of everything around us. However, current astronomers are already working to make this a reality.
The night sky has been of interest to mankind since the most primitive timesa curiosity so intense that it gave rise to several scientific fields dedicated to the study of the cosmos. As a result, we are always trying to understand why reality appears the way we see it.
To create a ‘map’ of the universe, several teams of researchers are using different methods to map each celestial object. like this like a world map representing the Earth, the idea of the scientists is to develop a cosmic atlas that shows the stars, the moon, the planets and everything that is present in space.
While some groups try to map specific regions, others try to create a map of the universe. After all, how can astronauts map everything in space?
It is an extremely complex task, as estimates indicate that there are up to 400 billion stars and 100 billion planets in the Milky Way alone, among several other celestial structures. Additionally, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) estimates that there are about 2 trillion galaxies in the visible universe.
“The universe suddenly appears much more numerous, thanks to a deep sky census gathered from surveys by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories. Astronomers have come to the surprising conclusion that there are at least 10 times more galaxies in the visible universe than expected,” explained NASA.
‘Maps’ of the universe
One of the biggest challenges in this type of mapping is the movement of celestial bodies.. For example, the Earth always moves in a constant orbit around the Sun. On the other hand, there are millions of asteroids, many of them with trajectories that can change and become irregular in the long term due to heavy interactions with other celestial bodies.
Using mathematical calculations of the distances between stars, it is possible to understand where we are in the universe. Therefore, the Gaia mission, from the European Space Agency (ESA), create a map of the Milky Way with incredible precision. Data from more than a billion stars were used, as well as comets, asteroids and other objects in the solar system.
Map of the Milky Way.Source: ESA/GAIA
How to map the cosmos?
It was through the study of the North American astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt that scientists did discovered that Cepheid variable stars can be used to measure intergalactic distances.
Later, the American astronomer Edwin Hubble identified redshift, and made understanding the space of the universe a little simpler.
Redshift is a phenomenon that changes the frequency of light from a distant celestial object. For example, farthest star in our expanding universe, the greater its redshift.
Euclid’s space telescope
Even with all the problems associated with the goal, the ESA team is also developing a map of the visible universe. With data collected by the Euclid Space Telescope, launched in July 2023, mission explorers are compiling images to create a cosmic atlas.
The image released by the Euclid Space Telescope represents just 1% of what the mission plans to map.Source: ESA / Euclid / Euclid / NASA / Gaia / DPAC / Planck Collaboration
The team has already released the first image, which shows just a fraction of what’s in space. The mosaic has a resolution of 208 gigapixels and represents only 1% of the entire map; It is expected that in six years, more than a third of the cosmos will be mapped.
“This first piece of the map already contains about 100 million sources: stars in our Milky Way and galaxies beyond. About 14 million of these galaxies could be used to study the hidden influence of dark matter and dark energy in the Universe”, explained in the official ESA statement.
Over the next six years, billions of data points are expected to be collected about galaxies up to 10 billion light years away. The Euclid Space Telescope uses advanced equipment that captures images in the infrared spectrum. In addition, the mission is demanding solve the nature of dark matter and dark energy.
The process of creating a ‘map’ of the universe is continuous, time consuming and expensive. Furthermore, it would never be possible to map the entire cosmos, as it is in a continuous process of expansion. But in a few decades, we may have already mapped a large part of the universe.
Keep up with the latest information on astronomy and science here at TecMundo. If you like, take the opportunity to find out where the edge of the universe is. Until next time!
2024-10-24 22:00:00
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