In Pictures: Euclid sends back first test images
The first test images produced by ESA’s Euclid probe are here and hint at the amazing power of the imaging power on board. These test images are simply just that – future images will be even more detailed and much sharper and cleaner. The Euclid Telescope has been built and designed by ESA and the Euclid Consortium to explore the evolution of the dark universe, discovering how it formed and expanded over time. In order to do this, it has been fitted with a 1.2m-diameter telescope, visible-wavelength camera, and near-infrared camera/spectrometer. Using these instruments, Euclid will build a detailed 3D map of the Universe – the third dimension being time. During its mission, Euclid aims to answer some pretty big questions, such as if the expansion of our Universe is uniform or whether it changes over time. And whether or not our understanding of gravity is complete and accurate. The Near-Infrared camera This raw image was taken by Euclid’s Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photom