Scientists have unveiled the largest and most detailed 3D map of the universe ever created, culminating a five-year research effort of extraordinary proportions.
Using a spectroscopic instrument called DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument), equipped with 5,000 optical fibers that act as "robotic eyes", astronomers have scanned a large part of the sky near the constellation Ursa Minor.
This data represents a kind of "CT scan" of the universe, built up gradually since 2021.
An unprecedented cosmic map
The survey includes over 47 million galaxies and about 20 million stars, making it more than six times more extensive than any previous measurement of its kind.
The light from the most distant galaxies included in this map has traveled for over 11 billion years, giving us a glimpse into a very early period of the universe.
"It's hard to describe the significance of this map for cosmology," said researcher Dr Seshadri Nadathur from the University of Portsmouth. "We've only just scratched the surface of what we can learn."
How was this map built?
Over the course of five years, DESI focused on thousands of different points in the sky every night. Precision robots positioned the optical fibers with microscopic precision – smaller than a strand of hair – changing the target every 20 minutes.
The collected light is analyzed in detail, separated into colors to reveal the position, speed, and chemical composition of each celestial object.
The result is a 3D map of the universe around Earth with an unprecedented level of detail.
The only unexplored area is that blocked by the disk of the Milky Way, which appears as dark areas on the map.
Goal: Understanding dark energy
More than 900 scientists from 70 institutions have participated in the DESI project, which aims to uncover the nature of dark energy – the mysterious force that makes up about 70% of the universe and is driving it to expand ever faster.
The first data suggested that this energy might not be constant, as previously thought, but could change over time. This would have major consequences for understanding the fate of the universe.
A project that exceeded expectations
The instrument has exceeded initial expectations: instead of the planned 34 million objects, DESI has collected much more data, as it could review the same areas multiple times.
“The instrument performed better than we expected,” said project director Dr Michael Levi. “Now the hard work begins: analyzing the data and discovering new surprises.”
What comes next
By 2028, scientists plan to expand the map by about another 20% of the sky, including more difficult-to-observe areas near the Milky Way.
They will also study particularly bright galaxies and stellar structures created by gravitational interactions, in search of more data on dark energy.
According to researcher Stephanie Juneau, the project has a broader purpose:
"We are doing this for all of humanity, to better understand the universe and its fate. We are now at a crucial moment, waiting to see whether or not new data will confirm what we have begun to discover." /GazetaExpress/
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