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.

CosmoPalooza webinars are now available!

Held on January 12-13, 2022, CosmoPalooza resurrected the special sessions originally planned for the AAS 239th meeting by CMB-S4, DESI, the Dark Energy Survey, and the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration.
Each group presented its latest developments, plans, and science advances. Watch the sessions here.

"Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Creates Largest 3D Map of the Cosmos.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has capped off the first seven months of its survey run by smashing through all previous records for three-dimensional galaxy surveys, creating the largest and most detailed map of the universe ever."
See the Press Release from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
DESI Science
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Highlights

DESI Begins

Announcements

Untangling the Cosmic Web

Even the smallest of correlations between galaxies and their environment can impact measurements on the largest scales. Claire Lamman, Harvard University September 9, 2022 Understanding the largest structures in the Universe and how they evolve is more convoluted than just mapping out the positions of galaxies. This is because galaxy characteristics are not random; they […]

Recovery effort update two months after the Contreras Fire

David Sprayberry, NOIRLab August 25, 2022 After the Contreras Fire swept over part of Kitt Peak in June, July was devoted to restoring electrical power and water service to the mountaintop. We also carefully assessed every structure for safety, possible fire damage, and the extent of cleaning required. Currently electricity at the summit is provided […]

First batch of Year 1 Key Project 1 papers

Anand Raichoor and Christophe Yeche August 22, 2022 We are glad to announce the publication on arXiv on Friday, August 19, 2022 of eight papers from Year 1 Key Project 1 (Y1KP1). These papers describe: how the DESI Main Survey targets are selected, along with their photometric and main spectroscopic properties (MWS: Cooper et al. […]

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Latest Press Releases