The story behind creating and naming our favorite coyote. Samuel Brieden, The University of Edinburgh May 12, 2023 Welcome our new DESI ambassador for Education and Public Outreach (EPO), BaoBan! You might have met him already, when he was presenting our powerful focal plane (see a virtual tour through it here) or wishing a happy […]
Main Content
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will measure the effect of dark energy on the expansion of the universe. It will obtain optical spectra for tens of millions of galaxies and quasars, constructing a 3D map spanning the nearby universe to 11 billion light years.The DESI Survey is being conducted on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. DESI is supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science to perform this Stage IV dark energy measurement using baryon acoustic oscillations and other techniques that rely on spectroscopic measurements.
5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI is out now!
DESI's very own planetarium show is available for free to all planetariums. See the trailer and find more information here.
Translations in French, Spanish, Mandarin, and German are now available.
DESI Science
en Español,
en Français,
한국어로,
简体中文,
ქართული,
em Português,
auf Deutsch,
en Català,
in Italiano.
"After Fire and Monsoons, DESI Resumes Cataloguing the Cosmos
Collaborators on the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument breathe a sigh of relief as they successfully restart the state-of-the-art experiment."
See the Press Release from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Highlights
DESI Begins
Latest Blog Posts

5000 Eyes: Creating the DESI Planetarium Film
Claire Lamman, Harvard University April 7, 2023 DESI’s planetarium show, “5000 Eyes”, was recently released to the public. It will be shown in hundreds of planetariums around the world and translated into ten languages. The support and contributions of many DESI members grew this project far beyond the little film I initially imagined. Here is […]

Dusty Views of the Southwestern Sky
…in Story and Science Joan Najita, NOIRLab April 4, 2023 One of the most spectacular things in the night sky is the Milky Way, which arches above the 4-meter Mayall Telescope in this image. The DESI survey is currently underway at the Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, which is located in the Schuk […]
Latest Press Releases
New DESI Planetarium Show to Premiere in 2023
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 27 February 2023
DESI Resumes Cataloguing the Cosmos
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 7 October 2022
Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Creates Largest 3D Map of the Cosmos
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 13 January 2022
Department of Energy Awards Berkeley Lab’s Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Its Prestigious Project Management Excellence Award
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 28 October 2021