The Einstein Telescope has embarked on a groundbreaking mission to explore the universe, drawing inspiration from the unique structure of a lobster’s eye. This innovative space project, a collaboration between China and Europe, officially began on January 9 with its launch on the Chinese Rocket “Long March”. The telescope has already conducted its initial observations, which were unveiled at a symposium in Beijing.
This telescope is specifically designed to seek out celestial phenomena such as pulsating stars, sudden bursts from black holes, and gamma rays. With its distinctive “lobster eye” optics, the telescope has the ability to survey over 3,600 square degrees of the sky, covering about one eleventh of the entire celestial sphere and greatly enhancing research capabilities.
European Space Agency’s Director of Science, Karol Mandel, expressed his excitement over the early findings, stating that “These first observations give us an intriguing look at the dynamic universe of high energies.” Eric Kullers, the project’s scientific director from the European Space Agency, also shared his amazement at conducting crucial observations despite incomplete tool calibration.
Since its initial operation on February 19, the Einstein Telescope has already detected 141 transient events, including 127 stellar eruptions. In addition to the main telescope, the mission also includes the FXT telescope for more detailed examination of these transients. The FXT telescope has already identified significant objects like the remnants of supernova Puppis A and the massive Omega Centauri cluster.
With a planned duration of three years, the Einstein Telescope mission will officially begin in June after thorough testing. The early data revealed at the symposium offer just a glimpse of what scientists can expect in the upcoming years. This project sets the stage for the future Newathena mission, aimed at developing the most powerful X-ray telescope, scheduled for launch in 2037.