Significant grant for new Euclid Satellite data centre

A new scientific data processing centre for astronomy research is being built at the University of Groningen. The data centre will support the Euclid mission of the European Space Agency.

The Euclid Satellite will be launched in 2020 and will map a great portion of the universe using very detailed optical and near infrared observational equipment. The properties of billions of galaxies, spread over a significant amount of the history of the expanding universe, will be charted in great detail, thereby testing Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Further, the observations may contribute to resolving one of the greatest mysteries in astronomy – the nature and significance of dark matter and dark energy.

The data centre requires EUR 6.5 million for personnel costs. NOVA, SRON and the University of Groningen have together raised EUR 4 million, the remaining EUR 2.5 million will be provided by the participating knowledge institutes at the University of Groningen (Target, CIT and the Kapteyn Institute for Astronomy).

The data centre will be set up at CIT and will use Target's hardware infrastructure. The staff will be provided by this knowledge institute as well.

For more information: Target newsletter