ESAC , The European Space Astronomy Centre, near Madrid, Spain, is the scientific heart of the European Space Agency. It hosts the science operations centres from where science operations are conducted for ESA’s Astronomy and Solar System exploration missions. It is also the place where all the scientific data produced are archived and made accessible to the world, having more than 35.000 users around the world including the scientific and educational communities. ESAC is also involved in Earth observation activities through the ESA’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission and is the base for ESA’s Galileo Science Office. Important educational efforts are run from ESAC as well, with the CESAR project reaching thousands of students and teachers nationally and internationally every year.
The new images are part of Euclid’s Early Release Observations. They accompany the mission’s first scientific data, which will also be made public on 23 May, and 10 forthcoming science papers. The treasure trove comes less than a year after the space telescope’s launch, and roughly six months after it returned its first full-colour images of the cosmos.
Euclid is on a mission to uncover the secrets of dark matter and dark energy, which are thought to make up 95% of the Universe yet cannot be directly observed. To reveal the ’dark’ influence on the visible Universe, over the next six years Euclid will observe the shapes, distances and motions of billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years. By doing this, it will create the largest cosmic 3D map ever made.
Media opportunities will include, among other highlights, interviews with: ESA Science Director and ESAC Head of Establishment, Carole Mundell; and all the scientific community working on this specific mission.
Media opportunities include:
Media opportunity with the ESA Science Director and ESAC Head of Establishment, Professor Carole MundellOther Interview opportunities
With the ESA Euclid team participating in the Euclid mission.
Programme 23 May (all times in CEST) at ESA/ESAC - European Space Astronomy Centre, Madrid, Spain
11:00 Doors open for media11:40 - 12:00 Welcome by Professor Carole Mundell, ESA Science Director and ESAC Head of Establishment.
Presentation of ESAC & the Science Program.
12:00 - 12:05 Unveiling Euclid images in mosaic view by Gaitee Hussain,Head of the ESA Science Engagement and Oversight Office
12:05 - 12:10 Presentation of Euclid mission & partners by Valeria Pettorino, ESA Project Scientist
12:10 - 12:20 Brief presentation and explanation of the images by Dr. Jean-Charles Cuillandre, CEA/IRFU
and Guillermo Buenadicha,Science Operations System Engineer, ESA
12:20 - 12:30 Presentation of All ERO scientists
12:30 - 12:45 Q & A for the media , moderator Dr. Sandra Benitez Herrera,ESAC Communication Officer, ESA.
12:45 - 14:00 Interview opportunities
ESA spokespeople from ESA Euclid team and experts, as well as spokespeople from Euclid Consortium, will be available on site for interviews.
The first part of the event will be in English and the presentation to the media will also be in Spanish.
Media registration
Please express interest by 22 May at 15:00 CEST for the Euclid image and data release event, by selecting and completing the relevant form at https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form.Important: Make sure to expand the link and select the corresponding event. Registration to the event is mandatory.
Getting to ESAC/ Contact
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESAC/Getting_to_ESAChttps://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESAC/Contact_ESAC
Street address and postal address:
European Space Agency(ESA)
European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC)
Camino bajo del Castillo, s/n
Urbanización Villafranca del Castillo
Villanueva de la Cañada
E-28692 Madrid, Spain
ESAC switchboard:
+34 91 813 11 00(3)
The event will take place at D Building at ESAC. This event will not be broadcast via streaming.
