Data provides a new value for the age of the Universe: 13.8 billion years
EU–(ENEWSPF)–18 October 2013. From the tiniest fraction of a second after the Big Bang to the evolution of stars and galaxies over 13.8 billion years, ESA’s Planck space telescope has provided new insight into the history of our Universe. Although science observations are now complete, the legacy of the Planck mission lives on.
Planck was launched in 2009 and spent 4.5 years scanning the sky to study the evolution of cosmic matter over time. Tomorrow, the Low Frequency Instrument will be switched off, having completed its science operations on 3 October.
Planck’s High Frequency Instrument already ended its observations in January 2012, after a total of five all-sky surveys had been completed with both instruments.
With some operational procedures to still take place, the spacecraft will finally be switched off next week.
