European survey reveals 900m galaxies – and possibly secrets of ‘dark universe’

The Euclid mission has released its first major data, revealing over 900 million galaxies and 15,000 potential cases of strong gravitational lensing. Launched in July 2023, this mission aims to create the largest 3D map of the universe, covering a third of the sky and over 10 billion years of cosmic history. The data will help scientists investigate dark energy and dark matter, which constitute a significant portion of the universe. The mission's high-resolution mapping allows for unprecedented insights into cosmic structures and phenomena, with further data expected next summer.