Scientific Highlights

Euclid test images tease of riches to come

July 31, 2023

Euclid’s two instruments have captured their first test images, showcasing space telescope potential to exceed its scientific goals. These are early test images, taken to check the instruments and review how Euclid can be further tweaked and refined. The Euclid space mission will create the largest and most accurate 3D map of the universe.

The Euclid telescope takes off to explore the dark universe

June 30, 2023

The Euclid space mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch into space on Saturday, July 1, 2023 to create the largest and most accurate 3D map of the universe. Spain has an important role in the mission, with a prominent role in the Consortium that has led the mission from its origin. IFAE, ICE-CSIC and PIC has been responsible for the development of the Filter Wheel Assembly, one of Euclid instruments and for generating cosmological simulations.

DESI Early Data Release Holds Nearly Two Million Objects

June 13, 2023

The first batch of data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument is now available for researchers to mine. Taken during the experiment’s “survey validation” phase, the data include distant galaxies and quasars as well as stars in our own Milky Way. DESI has already observed more galaxies than the combination of any other previous study, and it is just starting. Several Spanish institutions participate in this project: IFAE, ICE-CSIC/IEEC, ICCUB, CIEMAT, IFT/UAM, IAA, and IAC

New understanding on the relationship between galaxies and dark matter solves mysterious problem in cosmology

March 10, 2023

Recent studies have revealed that the bending of light around massive galaxies is significantly smaller than what our theories predict. Now, a team of scientists from Spanish institutions has found that the mismatch between theory and observations is actually caused by imprecise modeling of astrophysical processes.

ERC Consolidator Grant awarded to Andreu Font Ribera

March 17, 2022

Andreu Font Ribera, researcher in the Observational Cosmology Group at IFAE, has been awarded the prestigious “Consolidator Grant” from the European Research Council (ERC). The project COSMO-LYA will allow Andreu and his team to use a large dataset of distant quasars to study some of the mysteries of our Universe: dark energy, inflation, and the mass of neutrinos.

Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Creates Largest 3-D Map of the Cosmos

January 13, 2022

DESI has already mapped out more galaxies than all previous 3-D surveys combined — and it’s just getting started. Several Spanish institutions participate in the project: IFAE, ICE-CSIC, ICCUB, CIEMAT and IFT/UAM.

Dark Energy Survey (DES) releases most precise look at the universe’s evolution

May 27, 2021

The Dark Energy Survey collaboration has created the largest ever maps of the distribution and shapes of galaxies, tracing both ordinary and dark matter in the universe out to a distance of more than 7 billion light years. The analysis, which includes the first three years of data from the survey, is consistent with predictions from the current best model of the universe, the standard cosmological model. Nevertheless, there remain hints from DES and other experiments that matter in the current universe is a few percent less clumpy than predicted.

Successful Start of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Follows Record-Setting Trial Run

May 17, 2021

International collaboration aims for 3D map of the universe, unraveling of mysterious ‘dark energy'. IFAE participates in the DESI Barcelona-Madrid Regional Participation Group, made up of researchers from IFAE, ICE-CSIC, CIEMAT and IFT-UAM. The instrumental contribution to DESI of the group consisted of the design, construction and installation of the complete Guiding, Focusing and Alignment system (GFA).

Dark Energy Survey makes public catalog of nearly 700 million astronomical objects

January 14, 2021

The international collaboration releases a massive, public collection of astronomical data and calibrated images from six years of surveys. This data release is one of the largest astronomical catalogs issued to date.