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The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Opens Access to the Largest 3D Map of the Universe

By Heising-Simons Foundation

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For as long as humans have gazed at the sky, they have longed to attain a deeper understanding of our universe: When did it begin? How has it evolved? What are its properties?

In March 2025, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) released the largest dataset of its kind, with information on 4 million stars, 13.1 million galaxies, and 1.6 million quasars. With this new data, DESI has achieved the remarkable feat of building the largest 3D map of our universe to date.

"The farther and more accurately scientists can map the universe, the better positioned we will be to answer questions about its origin and evolution.”

John O'Brien, Science Program Officer at Heising-Simons Foundation

In addition, the DESI collaboration recently published a new analysis of dark energy using their first three years of collected data. By combining data with information gathered from studies of the cosmic microwave background, supernovae, and weak gravitational lensing, researchers see hints that the impact of dark energy may be non-constant over time—indicating that dark energy is changing, and that the standard model of how the universe works may need an update.

Supported in part by the Heising-Simons Foundation’s Science program, DESI is a research instrument that conducts spectrographic astronomical surveys of distant galaxies, allowing it to map millions of celestial objects to better understand dark energy, which scientists believe is the primary force driving the universe’s expansion.

Operated by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DESI observations help scientists to inquire on many different aspects of cosmology, from the nature of dark energy to neutrino masses. More than 900 researchers from over 70 institutions around the world utilize its incredible capabilities.

Caption: The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument has made the largest 3D map of the universe to date. Fly through millions of galaxies mapped using coordinate data from DESI. Credit: DESI collaboration and Fiske Planetarium, CU Boulder

As we look toward the future, the Foundation’s Science program is supporting the design study of a wide-aperture, six-meter segmented primary mirror for Spec-S5, a new project that will upgrade two existing 3.8-meter telescopes in DESI and provide access to the entire cosmological sky.

DESI is expected to transition to Spec-S5 in 2032 with the goal to create an even more comprehensive 3D map consisting of approximately 160 million galaxies and quasars, and 50 million stars. With this extensive data set, Spec-S5 will be able to advance our understanding of the origins and evolution of the universe, inflationary physics, cosmic expansion, and dark matter.

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