Planck highlights

• Planck will study the CMB more sharply and sensitively than ever before.

   

• Thanks to its accuracy, Planck will extract all the information that the fluctuations of the CMB hold. It will obtain far more information about the early phases of the Universe than any previous space mission.

   

• It will study all of the Universe’s constituents with unprecedented accuracy. For example, it will determine the total amount of normal and dark matter in the Universe, and it will investigate the nature of dark energy.

   

• It will study the evolution of the Universe in cosmic timescales, determining for example, when the first stars formed.

   

• As an additional benefit, it will conduct the most sophisticated astrophysical survey in its range of wavelengths: as it works to obtain a clean CMB signal, Planck will gather data on other celestial objects with unprecedented accuracy.

   

• Planck will chart the best all-sky maps in its range of wavelengths.

Unanticipated discoveries are the best part of such a ground-breaking mission —and this one is expected to revolutionise our understanding of the birth, evolution and ultimate fate of our Universe.