DES

Scientists on two continents have independently discovered a set of celestial objects that seem to belong to the rare category of dwarf satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. A team of researchers with the Dark Energy Survey, headquartered at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and an independent group from the University of Cambridge jointly announced their findings today.

With its second year under way, the Dark Energy Survey team posts highlights and prepares to release images from its first year

On Aug. 31, the Dark Energy Survey (DES) officially began. Scientists on the survey team will systematically map one-eighth of the sky (5000 square degrees) in unprecedented detail. The start of the survey is the culmination of 10 years of planning, building and testing by scientists from 25 institutions in six countries.