New accurate Map of the Universe

New accurate map of the Universe showing all the matter, using data taken by the Dark Energy Survey in Chile (above) and the South Pole Telescope.

Scientists have released a new survey of all the matter in the universe from the Dark Energy Survey (left) and the South Pole Telescope (right).  Image courtesy Yuuki Omori.

The team could assemble a map of how matter is distributed—which is crucial to understand the forces that shape the universe.

The research involved more than 150 scientists and is published as a set of three articles on Jan. 31 in Physical Review D.

The new analysis indicates that matter is not as “clumpy” as we thought, based on our current model of the Universe.

The Dark Energy Survey observes photons of light at visible wavelengths; the South Pole Telescope looks at the light at microwave wavelengths.