{"id":383717,"date":"2026-04-17T05:24:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T05:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/383717\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T05:24:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T05:24:19","slug":"3d-dark-energy-map-is-mind-blowing-photo-of-the-day-for-april-16-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/383717\/","title":{"rendered":"3D dark energy map is mind-blowing photo of the day for April 16, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pFXZgF4Fp4AVgmrk9yRCL8.png\" alt=\"A black and blue abstract-looking image with deep blue gradients and black triangular shapes intersecting at a glowing central point.\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pFXZgF4Fp4AVgmrk9yRCL8.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pFXZgF4Fp4AVgmrk9yRCL8.png\" class=\"inline expandable\"\/><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pFXZgF4Fp4AVgmrk9yRCL8.png\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"expand-button icon-expand-image icon\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pFXZgF4Fp4AVgmrk9yRCL8.png\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Researchers use DESI&#8217;s huge 3D map to study dark energy. Earth is at the center of this map, and every point is a galaxy. (Image credit: DESI collaboration and KPNO\/NOIRLab\/NSF\/AURA\/R. Proctor)<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-b67bac35-5b61-4413-9466-fbc9e426b58f\">Dark energy<a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/dark-energy-what-is-it\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/dark-energy-what-is-it\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/dark-energy-what-is-it\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> <\/a>and dark matter remain some of the biggest mysteries in the universe. But with amazing new science and technologies, we&#8217;re putting together pieces of this strange puzzle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">In a brilliant new 3D map, you can see a fantastic visual representation of the cosmos, which will allow scientists to investigate dark energy further.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-b67bac35-5b61-4413-9466-fbc9e426b58f-2\">Read more: <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/astronomy\/dark-universe\/a-dark-energy-tool-just-created-the-most-comprehensive-3d-map-of-our-universe-ever-this-is-a-major-paradigm-shift\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/astronomy\/dark-universe\/a-dark-energy-tool-just-created-the-most-comprehensive-3d-map-of-our-universe-ever-this-is-a-major-paradigm-shift\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/astronomy\/dark-universe\/a-dark-energy-tool-just-created-the-most-comprehensive-3d-map-of-our-universe-ever-this-is-a-major-paradigm-shift\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">A dark energy tool just created the most comprehensive 3D map of our universe ever: &#8216;This is a major paradigm shift&#8217;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Article continues below <\/p>\n<p>            You may like<\/p>\n<p>    <a id=\"elk-e75ed97c-f3e6-43c5-8067-3b671cc2c51e\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/>What is it?<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-6c4d372c-cbe4-46f0-a884-e2ce825cefa3\"><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/dark-energy-what-is-it\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/dark-energy-what-is-it\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/dark-energy-what-is-it\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dark energy<\/a> remains a complete unknown. In essence, it is the explanation for why our universe is expanding at an accelerated rate over time. But what this mysterious force (or not force) driving this acceleration is remains a mystery.<\/p>\n<p>On April 14, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/astronomy\/dark-universe\/a-dark-energy-tool-just-created-the-most-comprehensive-3d-map-of-our-universe-ever-this-is-a-major-paradigm-shift\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/astronomy\/dark-universe\/a-dark-energy-tool-just-created-the-most-comprehensive-3d-map-of-our-universe-ever-this-is-a-major-paradigm-shift\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/astronomy\/dark-universe\/a-dark-energy-tool-just-created-the-most-comprehensive-3d-map-of-our-universe-ever-this-is-a-major-paradigm-shift\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">completed <\/a>the largest 3D map of the universe ever in an effort to investigate dark energy.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-d270d8bc-b46f-4a02-a1a7-e8bf792a6a6d\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/>Why is it incredible? <\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-c66e0539-8b00-44f8-ab8b-296089cde435\">Our expanding universe holds countless unknowns. But to be able to see the universe visually, even three-dimensionally, is something truly spectacular.<\/p>\n<p>In this image, every single point of light is a galaxy, with Earth at the center. It&#8217;s a breathtaking view of our ever-expanding universe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Researchers use DESI&#8217;s huge 3D map to study dark energy. Earth is at the center of this map,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382243,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[111,139,69,147,392],"class_list":{"0":"post-383717","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-new-zealand","9":"tag-newzealand","10":"tag-nz","11":"tag-science","12":"tag-space"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}