Researchers running a scientific experiment to make the largest 3D map of the universe finished the planned survey Tuesday night, observing 47 million galaxies and black holes. That went well beyond the original goal.
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument housed at Kitt Peak Observatory near Tucson had originally been designed to observe 34 million galaxies as it charted its map.
The milestone achieved Tuesday night put the DESI team ahead of schedule.
The international team is gathering the data to get a better understanding of the history of dark energy, which is the mysterious force driving the accelerating expansion of the universe.
“So as we look at more and more distant galaxies, we're looking at the universe as it was earlier and earlier in time. And by measuring their motions, we can essentially measure how that expansion has changed over time," said Arjun Dey, an astronomer with the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab.
Dey says early observations have already shown signs that dark energy has changed over time, challenging previous understandings.
“It's about mapping the stars around us, mapping the material around us, mapping the galaxies around us, mapping, you know, the whole history of how we got here," Dey said.
Dey says DESI will continue by looking at older galaxies. He expects studies on the final survey will take about a year to come out.
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