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Euclid Captures Most Detailed 60 Million-Star Bulge Image

6/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

Euclid captured the most detailed visible-light image of the Milky Way bulge on 23 March 2025, released 24 June 2026.
The nine-pointing mosaic images 60 million stars across an area larger than nine full moons.
Each exposure is 270 times Hubble’s field of view, while Keck would need ~2,000 hours.
The image includes 51 known planetary systems, providing a baseline for microlensing.
NASA’s Roman Telescope will use this baseline for a bulge survey launching 30 August 2026 on Falcon Heavy.

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Story summary

Euclid captured the most detailed visible-light image of the Milky Way bulge on 23 March 2025, released 24 June 2026.
The nine-pointing mosaic images 60 million stars across an area larger than nine full moons.
Each exposure is 270 times Hubble’s field of view, while Keck would need ~2,000 hours.
The image includes 51 known planetary systems, providing a baseline for microlensing.
NASA’s Roman Telescope will use this baseline for a bulge survey launching 30 August 2026 on Falcon Heavy.