Euclid travels into space – a giant telescope has been launched to explore black holes

A two-ton telescope, named after the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, began its million-kilometer long journey, with a mission Reveal the secrets of the dark universe.

At about six in the afternoon from Cape Canaveral, Euclid was integrated into a special SPACEX rocket – FALCON 9 was launched into its flight.

its goal European Space Agency To shed light on the most mysterious cosmic phenomena, such as dark energy and dark matter – the forces that make up 95% of the universe. It is even expected to help us better understand the laws of gravity.

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LIFTOFF from # Isaclide From SLC-40 in Florida on July 1, 2023! pic.twitter.com/K0bGBnUfoG

– ESA (esa) July 1, 2023

The mission will take six years to complete and is expected to cost a total of $1.4 billion. After a short stay aboard the Falcon – the telescope will detach and travel for a month to reach the so-called second Lagrangian point (L2), where the gravitational forces of Earth and the Sun are roughly equal, 1.6 million kilometers from Earth.

Report: Zeta Kontaxis | ERT