Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)

home

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 will be conducted on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory starting in 2019. 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.

Highlights

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DESI Officially Completes Construction Phase

On May 8, 2020, the DOE Energy Systems Acquisition Advisory Board (ESAAB) approved the CD-4 completion of construction for the DESI Project. It’s the culmination of 10 years of hard work by an incredibly dedicated and talented team and a major accomplishment for all involved. DESI is now the premier multi-object spectrograph and the first […]

DESI Successfully Completes Commissioning Phase

DESI commissioning has raced forward this winter, and we have now demonstrated the key performance parameters of the instrument! Since installation of the instrument, refinement of the performance of the 8 square degree corrector, high-precision (10 micron) positioning of the fibers under active feedback, accurate calibration of the spectrographs, and on-sky commissioning of the whole […]

DESI Opens Its 5,000 Eyes to Capture the Colors of the Cosmos
 – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 10/28/2019

Dark Energy Instrument’s Lenses See the Night Sky for the First Time
 – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 4/3/2019

Topping Off a Telescope with New Tools to Explore Dark Energy
 – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 12/4/2018

VIDEO: 5,000 Robots Merge to Map the Universe in 3D
 – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 10/17/2018