Dark Energy Survey Science Verification

Photo: DES Galaxies & Clusters (Courtesy of DES/Color image by J. Hao)

After achieving first light on Sept. 12, 2012, the DES is moving forward at amazing speed. Commissioning was carried out in Sept-Oct., followed by Science Verification. By February 2013, we will have successfully completed the Science Verification phase of the project, and the survey will start in Sept. 2013. During Science Verification, DES has been focusing on three patches of the sky, imaging a couple of hundred square degrees at full DES depth. Of the three patches, one is along the southern celestial equatorial region, overlapping with many existing optical surveys for better calibration, and the other two are overlapping with the South Pole Telescope (SPT) Sunyaev-Zel'dovich survey in the southern sky. Exciting science is just ahead

- Jiangang Hao

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