Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)

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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.
"Successful launch of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Follows Record-Setting Test Phase.
Five-year international collaboration, under the aegis of Berkeley Lab, aims for 3D map of the universe, unraveling of mysterious dark energy"
See the Press Release and related blog posts
DESI Science en Español , en Français, 한국어로 , 简体中文 , ქართული , em Português , auf Deutsch , en Català .

Highlights

DESI Begins

Announcements

The Old is New Again: Social Distancing While Mapping the Universe

David Lee Summers, Kitt Peak National Observatory November 17, 2021 Many people who hear the word “astronomer” imagine a scientist spending long nights in an observatory dome peering through a telescope’s eyepiece. In fact, when the Nicholas U. Mayall telescope was commissioned in 1973, astronomers could sit at the telescope’s focus to operate the cameras. […]

Congratulations to Frank Valdes

Adam Bolton, NOIRLab November 1, 2021 DESI collaborator Dr. Frank Valdes, a scientist at NSF’s NOIRLab, has been honored with the 2021 ADASS Prize for an Outstanding Contribution to Astronomical Software. The award recognizes Frank and two other colleagues for their foundational roles in creating the Image Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF) software system. IRAF […]

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