The Dark Energy Survey begins

Over the next five years, scientists will capture some of the grandest images of the cosmos
ever seen and use them to probe the mystery of dark energy.
Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Dark nergy Survey. !ts five"year
mission: to map a portion of the southern sky in unprecedented detail. To use the world#s
most powerful digital camera to probe the mystery of dark energy. To boldly photograph
where no astrophysicist has photographed before.
The Dark nergy Survey officially began on Saturday, $ug. %&. 'sing the Dark nergy
(amera, a )*+"megapixel imaging device built at ,ermilab, scientists plan to take clear,
da--ling pictures of the largest number of galaxies ever studied in such a survey. The
camera is mounted on a telescope at the (erro Tololo !nter"$merican Observatory in (hile,
which offers a mountaintop vista perfect for obtaining crystal"clear, high"resolution images.

./ith the start of the survey, the work of more than 0++ collaborators is coming to fruition,1
says ,ermilab physicist 2osh ,rieman, director of the Dark nergy Survey, in a press
release. .!t#s an exciting time in cosmology, when we can use observations of the distant
universe to tell us about the fundamental nature of matter, energy, space and time.1
Over five years, scientists will capture full"color photographs
of %++ million galaxies, &++,+++ galaxy clusters and 3+++ new
supernovae. The camera is powerful enough to see light from
more than 4 billion light years away. The Dark nergy
(amera#s 50 charge coupled devices will provide a previously
unheard"of level of sensitivity to red light. This will help
determine the distances to galaxies6those that appear red
are generally farther away, while those that appear blue are
nearer by.
7ut the survey is not 8ust about collecting pretty pictures. Scientists are searching for the
answer to a fascinating mystery: /hy is the expansion of the universe accelerating9 The Dark
nergy Survey will use four methods to probe dark energy, the phenomenon believed to be
pushing the universe apart:
&. (ounting galaxy clusters. /hile gravity pulls mass together to form galaxies and clusters of
galaxies, dark energy pushes it apart. The Dark nergy (amera will see light from galaxy
clusters billions of light years away, and counting those clusters at different points in time will
offer insight into the cosmic competition between gravity and dark energy.
0. :easuring supernovae. $ supernova is a star that explodes, becoming as bright as an entire
galaxy of billions of stars. 7y measuring how bright it appears on arth, scientists can tell how far
away a supernova is and then use that information to determine how fast the universe has been
expanding since the star#s explosion.

%. Studying the bending of light.
/hen light from distant galaxies
encounters dark matter in space, it
bends around it, causing those
galaxies to appear distorted in
telescope images. The survey will
measure the shapes of 0++ million
galaxies, exploring how gravity
and dark energy mold the lumps
of dark matter throughout space.
3. 'sing sound waves to map the
universe#s expansion. Sound
waves created hundreds of
thousands of years after the big
bang left an imprint on the way
galaxies are distributed across
the universe.
The survey will measure the positions in space of %++ million galaxies to find this imprint and
use it to infer the history of cosmic expansion.
The Dark nergy (amera achieved first light in September of last year. During the subse;uent commissioning
phase, the camera was put through its paces. $long the way, it captured do-ens of sharp, clear images. <ou can
see some of them at the survey#s official photo blog, Dark nergy Detectives, and even more in an interactive
mosaic of 50 D(am images.
/ith the survey now officially underway, scientists will collect data between September and ,ebruary each year
through 0+&4. This .season1 was chosen because the portion of the sky scientists wish to observe will be
overhead during those months, and the weather in (hile will be the most cooperative.


Dark Energy Survey launches new photo blog
Scientists on the Dark nergy Survey share weekly photos taken by and of the world#s most
powerful digital camera.
The name refers to the DS collaboration#s ongoing hunt for the mysterious stuff known as
dark energy, according to post"doctoral researcher 7rian =ord, who helped design the new
site.
/hat would it be like to peer
billions of years into the
past, viewing hundreds of
millions of galaxies, some
billions of light years away9
/hat would it feel like to be
part of a team trying to
uncover the secrets of our
universe9
Starting this week, the Dark
nergy Survey team invites
you to find out by following
their new photo blog, Dark
nergy Detectives.
/hat would it be like to peer billions of years into the past, viewing hundreds of millions of
galaxies, some billions of light years away9 /hat would it feel like to be part of a team
trying to uncover the secrets of our universe9

The survey#s main tool is the Dark nergy (amera, built in !llinois at ,ermilab and now mounted
on the 3"meter 7lanco telescope at the (erro Tololo !nter"$merican Observatory in (hile. !t#s
the most powerful digital survey imaging device in the world, able to see light from stars up to 4
billion light years away and photograph them in previously unimaginable detail.
ach :onday, a new image taken by >or taken of? the Dark nergy (amera will be posted on
the Dark nergy Detectives blog. DS scientists will write explanations of each photo, offering
glimpses of what it#s like to be part of the team working with the camera in the mountains of
(hile.
Starting this week, the Dark nergy
Survey team invites you to find out
by following their new photo blog,
Dark nergy Detectives. The name
refers to the DS collaboration#s
ongoing hunt for the mysterious
stuff known as dark energy,
according to post"doctoral
researcher 7rian =ord, who helped
design the new site.
This image, taken with the Dark Energy
Camera, shows Spiral Galaxy NGC 0895
in more detail than eer !e"ore#
@hoto by: Dark nergy (amera
Aesearchers have 8ust completed the Dark nergy (amera#s science verification period, and
the Dark nergy Survey is scheduled to begin in September. Over the next five years, the
DS team will map a portion of the southern sky, searching for clues to understanding dark
energy, the stuff believed to be causing our universe to expand at a faster and faster rate.

The Dark nergy Survey will use the
camera between September and
,ebruary each year. During those
months, the part of the night sky the
team wishes to observe will be
overhead. That time of year also
tends to be when the weather is best.
Dark nergy Detectives will update
every :onday, regardless of whether
the survey is operating. =ord says
there is a wealth of fascinating
images taken during the science
verification period, which will appear
on the blog until the start of the
survey in September 0+&%.
<ou can follow Dark nergy
Detectives on Twitter, on Tumblr and
on @interest. @hotos will also appear
on the Dark nergy Survey
,acebook page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxx7UjFC93M&feature=youtu.be
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