Scientists Complete Largest High-Resolution 3D Map of the Universe Using 5,000 Robotic Arms

Astronomers have successfully created the most extensive and high-resolution three-dimensional map of the universe recorded so far, following a five-year observation campaign during which researchers tracked tens of millions of galaxies.

This initiative, known as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), aims to investigate the nature of dark energy, the mysterious force driving the accelerated expansion of the universe, according to techradar.

The survey results have surpassed the project's initial targets, with data collected on more than 47 million galaxies and quasars—highly luminous active galactic nuclei—exceeding the originally planned figure of 34 million. Additionally, the researchers gathered observations of over 20 million nearby stars to study the structure of our Milky Way galaxy.

Robotic Fiber Optic System at the Core

Central to this achievement is a system equipped with 5,000 robotic fiber optic positions mounted on a telescope in Arizona, USA. These small robotic arms reposition approximately every 20 minutes with high precision, aligning the fiber optics to capture faint light emitted from distant galaxies.

The captured light is transmitted to spectrographs that decompose it into its constituent colors, enabling scientists to calculate the distance from Earth to each galaxy individually. By combining distance measurements with the celestial coordinates of these objects, a layered three-dimensional map is constructed, illustrating how matter is distributed across the universe.

The team utilized the four-meter Nicholas U. Mayall telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, where the original camera system was replaced by DESI's fiber optic technology. This upgrade allowed simultaneous measurements of thousands of galaxies.

Investigating the Behavior of Dark Energy

DESI was designed to examine how galaxies cluster over various distances and epochs. The patterns of this clustering serve as indicators of the universe’s expansion rate in the past, revealing how dark energy has influenced the growth of cosmic structures over billions of years.

Earlier preliminary results suggested that dark energy might not act as a constant force but could vary over time. However, researchers emphasize that additional data may modify these conclusions.

Although the planned map is complete, the project is ongoing. Scientists intend to broaden the survey area to include more regions of the sky and to collect data on more distant galaxies. They also plan to revisit previously observed areas to obtain denser data sets, thereby improving measurement accuracy.