Scientists Created the Largest 2D Map of the Sky Over Earth
Written by Reananda Hidayat PermonoCompleted Master of Science - MS, Petroleum Geology from Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Scientists have created the most extensive two-dimensional map of the sky over Earth, now covering nearly half the sky over Earth.
According to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the map is created with six-year survey data.
The map features more than a billion bright specks of galaxies with billions of stars.
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) released the 10th data for creating the sky map.
The astronomy project aims to determine about 40 million galactic targets to precisely map the expansion journey of the universe in the last 12 billion years.
Moreover, the project could help scientists understand dark energy, the mysterious force orchestrating the universe's expansion.
Dark energy is an exciting topic since scientists understand almost nothing about it despite dark energy providing 70% of the universe’s total energy.
This development doesn’t stop DESI scientists from making improvements and creating the most comprehensive sky map possible.
The DESI Legacy Imaging Survey is built on the data from two earlier surveys: the Beijing-Arizona Sky Survey and the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey.
These surveys have captured 14,000 square degrees of the sky above Earth’s northern hemisphere.
The 10th data release adds 6,000 square degrees more by adding sky images above the southern hemisphere.