After mapping millions of galaxies, Dark Energy Survey finishes data collection

From University of Chicago, Jan. 9, 2019: After scanning about a quarter of the southern skies over 800 nights, the Dark Energy Survey finished taking data on Jan. 9. It ends as one of the most sensitive and comprehensive surveys of its kind, recording data from more than 300 million distant galaxies. Fermilab, an affiliate of the University of Chicago, served as lead laboratory on the survey, which included more than 400 scientists and 26 institutions.

Logran cartografiar una octava parte del cielo

From, El Dia, Jan. 9, 2019: El trabajo fue po astrofísicos del proyecto Dark Energy Survey, tras seis años de observación en los que acumularon información de más de 300 millones de galaxias lejanas.

Astrofísicos acumulan datos de más de 300 millones de galaxias en seis años

From estrella digital, Jan. 9, 2019: Los astrofísicos que han participado en el proyecto Dark Energy Survey han finalizado hoy la toma de datos para cartografiar con un detalle sin precedentes una octava parte del cielo, tras seis años de trabajos en los que han acumulado datos de más de 300 millones de galaxias lejanas.

The Dark Energy Camera mounted on the 4-meter Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. The final day of data-taking for the Dark Energy Survey is Jan. 9.

Dark Energy Survey completes six-year mission

Press release

After scanning in depth about a quarter of the southern skies for six years and cataloguing hundreds of millions of distant galaxies, the Dark Energy Survey will finish taking data on Jan. 9. DES scientists recorded data from more than 300 million distant galaxies. More than 400 scientists from over 25 institutions around the world have been involved in the project, hosted by Fermilab. The collaboration has already produced about 200 academic papers, with more to come.

Topping off a telescope with new tools to explore dark energy

From Berkeley Lab, Dec. 4, 2018: Key components of Berkeley Lab’s Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument are installed after months of planning, prep work. A team at Fermilab built the corrector, hexapod, and other top-end support structures. The structures are designed to align the lenses with an accuracy of tens of microns (millionths of a meter) – similar to the width of the thinnest human hair.

Five mysteries the Standard Model can’t explain

Symmetry feature

Our best model of particle physics explains only about 5 percent of the universe.

The scientific theories battling to explain the universe

From CNN, Aug. 17, 2018: Fermilab scientist Don Lincoln discusses the conflict between superstring theory and the phenomenon of dark energy, mentioning the Dark Energy Survey.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument will attach to the Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, shown here. Photo: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, © 2010, The Regents of the University of California, through the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Mapping the universe in 3-D: Fermilab contributes to the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

Fermilab feature

DESI, an instrument to help scientists get to the bottom of the dark energy mystery, is getting a little help from Fermilab.

UQ astrophysicist is star material

From UQ News, Aug. 1, 2018: A scientist from the Dark Energy Survey, which is hosted by Fermilab, is selected for the television program Australian Survivor.

The endless search

From FAPESP’s Pesquisa, March 2018: International researchers are constantly looking for lighter particles in the hope of finding dark matter, including at the DarkSide-50 experiment, CDMS and the Dark Energy Survey.