Euclid: An ESA Mission With NASA Participation

Euclid is a European Space Agency (ESA) space mission with NASA participation, to study the geometry and nature of the dark Universe. Euclid will carry out a six-year survey of a third of the sky in the optical and near-infrared. It will measure galaxies out to distances corresponding to a look-back time of ~10 billion years. Euclid was launched on July 1, 2023. Well-characterized and validated Euclid data will be publicly released within about 2 years of acquisition.

Euclid NASA Science Center at IPAC (ENSCI) has been established by NASA, in order to support US-based investigations using Euclid data. ENSCI is part of the Euclid Consortium’s Science Ground Segment, providing algorithm and software development, participating in data quality assurance, and performing data processing. In addition, ENSCI supports the US research community by providing expert insight into the Euclid surveys, data processes, calibration, and products.

Our Universe is undergoing an accelerated expansion. Since matter gravitates, cosmic expansion would slow down in a matter-dominated universe. Thus the unknown nature of the observed cosmic acceleration has been dubbed "dark energy". Euclid will map the large-scale structure of the Universe over ~15,000 square degrees, nearly half of the full sky excluding the regions dominated by the stars in our Milky Way galaxy. It will measure galaxies out to distances which corresponds to a look-back time of ~10 billion years, covering the period over which dark energy accelerated the expansion of the Universe.

Our Universe is undergoing an accelerated expansion. Since matter gravitates, cosmic expansion would slow down in a matter-dominated universe. Thus the unknown nature of the observed cosmic acceleration has been dubbed "dark energy". Euclid will map the large-scale structure of the Universe over ~15,000 square degrees, nearly half of the full sky excluding the regions dominated by the stars in our Milky Way galaxy. It will measure galaxies out to distances which corresponds to a look-back time of ~10 billion years, covering the period over which dark energy accelerated the expansion of the Universe.

Euclid is an ESA space mission with NASA contribution. It will study the geometry and nature of the dark Universe. Euclid will carry out a 6 year survey of ~1/2 of the extragalactic sky in the optical and near-infrared, accurately measuring shapes for ~1.5 billion galaxies, and redshifts (i.e., distances) of ~30 million galaxies. All data will be released to the world-wide community within about 2 years of acquisition.

All Euclid data will be made public in three major data releases (DR1, DR2, DR3), phased with the survey progress, with the final DR3 a year after the end of the main survey. Preceding each major DR are "quick releases" (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) of selected areas and data-products, to demonstrate the data to be expected, and to allow scientists to sharpen their data analysis tools. Well-characterized and validated data will be released via ESA’s Euclid Science Archive System, and by the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive.

All Euclid data will be made public in three major data releases (DR1, DR2, DR3), phased with the survey progress, with the final DR3 a year after the end of the main survey. Preceding each major DR are "quick releases" (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) of selected areas and data-products, to demonstrate the data to be expected, and to allow scientists to sharpen their data analysis tools. Well-characterized and validated data will be released via ESA’s Euclid Science Archive System, and by the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive.