On December 12, 2024, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) project received TIME magazine's Best Innovation Award for its groundbreaking work in astronomy. This initiative has successfully created the largest three-dimensional map of the universe, detailing the distances of six million galaxies.
The DESI project, led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, employs advanced technology to investigate dark energy, a mysterious force driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. A significant contribution came from Bertin Technologies, specifically its Bertin Winlight brand, which manufactured and tested ten spectrographs essential for data analysis.
Collaborating with the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM) and the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Bertin Winlight's efforts have been pivotal in enhancing our comprehension of cosmic phenomena. The recognition from TIME underscores the importance of international collaboration in advancing astronomical research.
The DESI project continues to yield critical data, reinforcing existing cosmological models and opening avenues for future scientific breakthroughs.