A dark energy instrument creates the most complete 3d map of the universe ever made: ?it’s a major paradigm shift?

Researchers use DESI’s huge 3D map to study dark energy. Earth is at the center of this map, and every point is a galaxy. (Image credit: DESI collaboration and KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor)

doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202557876
Credibility: 989
#DESI

An instrument designed to study dark energy has completed its five-year mission and produced the most detailed and comprehensive three-dimensional map of the universe ever created

This breakthrough represents a milestone in astronomy and could transform our understanding of how the cosmos expands.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), installed on the 4-meter Nicholas U.

Mayall Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, is capable of mapping the position of millions of galaxies per month.

By recording the light from these distant galaxies-which act as cosmic “streetlights”-scientists can precisely measure how the universe has been expanding over the past 11 billion years.

With the complete mission data, DESI has created a map that includes tens of millions of galaxies and quasars, far surpassing all previous surveys.

It’s as if we have a giant tomography of the cosmos, revealing not only where galaxies are located, but also how they are grouped and how the expansion of space has changed over time.

Beyond the large-scale structure-with filaments and clusters of galaxies forming a cosmic web-the map highlights subtle patterns left over from the early universe, called Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAOs).

These “echoes” of the Big Bang serve as a cosmic ruler, allowing us to measure distances with extremely high precision.

Initial results already indicate that dark energy, the mysterious force that accelerates the expansion of the universe, may not be as constant as previously thought.

There are indications that its influence is weakening over time.

If confirmed, this would be a true revolution, requiring a revision of the standard cosmological model (Lambda-CDM) that we have used for decades.

Scientists involved in the project emphasize the importance of this achievement.

One of them described the moment as “a major paradigm shift,” because DESI not only maps the universe with unprecedented detail, but also offers new clues about the fundamental forces shaping the destiny of the cosmos.

With this map, the scientific community gains a powerful tool to answer age-old questions: Will the universe expand forever? Is dark energy fixed or variable? And what does this mean for the future of everything that exists?

DESI continues to be an example of how technology and international collaboration can reveal secrets that, until recently, seemed unattainable.

We are living in an exciting era of cosmology, in which the universe reveals itself to be increasingly surprising.

Published in 04/16/2026 05h34

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Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.

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