Scientists mapped the sky in three-dimensional format

Three-dimensional map of the sky is interesting because it displays position and distance from the planet of over one million galaxies. The map allows to assess the proportion of dark energy and substance and explore the history of the universe for the period of six billion years.

Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) – is a wide project designed to study the spectra and images of galaxies and stars. A wide-angle optical telescope with a 2.5-meter aperture was used to implement the project. Research started back in 2000. During this time, astronomers have mapped 25% of the sky, obtained the spectra for one million objects and made images over 100 million objects.

In 2008 the third phase of the project SDSS III was launched, which made it possible to draw the largest three-dimensional map of the sky, out of all of earlier. The map shows the location of black holes and over one million galaxies. To understand how important studies were conducted we can point out that the map covers the area of the sky in the form of a cube whose faces are equal to four billion light years. Creation of a three-dimensional map took two years.