Euclid Telescope, with Swiss Involvement, Discovers Oldest Known Quasars

The Euclid space telescope has shattered expectations by identifying 31 new quasars from the dawn of time, including the two oldest ever recorded by human technology. These celestial beacons date back to a period when the universe was a mere 670 million years old—a staggering jump back into the cosmic past. This discovery does not just add to a list; it doubles the number of known quasars from this primitive era in one fell swoop. Launched in 2023, Euclid is proving to be the ultimate time machine, capturing light that has traveled for more than 13 billion years to reach its sensors. While previous missions struggled to find these needles in the cosmic haystack, Euclid's wide-angle survey capabilities are now systematically mapping the 'Dark Universe' with unprecedented efficiency. This is not a gradual discovery; it is a frontal assault on our ignorance of the early cosmos.

Switzerland stands at the epicenter of this breakthrough, with four major national institutions driving the mission's technical and scientific success. The University of Geneva, the University of Zurich, EPFL, and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Northwestern Switzerland have forged the backbone of Euclid’s capabilities. Swiss engineers and researchers did not just participate; they dominated the critical areas of instrumentation, data processing, and complex simulations. This level of involvement cements Switzerland’s reputation as a global leader in space innovation, moving beyond mere mediation to active, high-stakes scientific leadership. While major powers jockey for political control of orbit, Swiss scientists are focused on the fundamental physics of the universe. Their contribution ensures that the massive streams of data flowing from Euclid are translated into the groundbreaking discoveries we see today. Without Swiss expertise in handling the telescope's sophisticated sensors, these ancient quasars might have remained hidden in the noise of space.

A staggering one trillion suns—that is the combined luminosity of the two oldest quasars discovered by Euclid. These objects are not merely bright; they are the most energetic phenomena in the known universe, outshining their entire host galaxies by a factor of 100 to 1,000. Quasars represent a violent, brief phase in a galaxy's life where matter plunges into a central supermassive black hole, releasing an inferno of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum. The sheer scale of these objects challenges current astrophysical models. How did black holes grow so massive so quickly? To find such monsters just 670 million years after the Big Bang is like finding a fully grown adult in a nursery of newborns. This data forces a radical rethink of how matter aggregated in the early universe. The energy released by these quasars is so intense it can be seen across the vastness of 13 billion light-years, providing a lighthouse for researchers studying the 'reionization' era of the cosmos.

If the history of the universe were compressed into a single hour, these quasars would have begun shining before the clock even hit the three-minute mark. This perspective, provided by the ESA, underscores the urgency of Euclid's mission. We are witnessing the very first structures of the universe as they formed from the chaos of the Big Bang. The implications for future research are profound; by doubling the known population of early quasars, Euclid provides a statistically significant sample to test theories of dark matter and dark energy. For Switzerland, this mission is a testament to the power of international collaboration and technical excellence. As Euclid continues its six-year survey, the discovery of these 31 quasars is likely just the beginning of a flood of data that will redefine our place in the cosmos. The hunt is now on for even older objects, as Swiss researchers push the boundaries of what is visible, searching for the very first light that ever broke the darkness of the early universe.