Sparkling Septet

A group of galaxies known as the Copeland Septet, in Leo, highlights this image from a new map of the sky. The map, which includes more than one billion galaxies, was compiled in preparation for a three-dimensional survey of the sky by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, which begins this year. The new survey is designed to provide new insights into the nature of dark energy, which is causing the universe to expand faster as it ages. The map was compiled over a six-year period by several telescopes on the ground and in space. In addition to the large, bright galaxies, this image includes hundreds of other galaxies that are farther from Earth. [KPNO/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Legacy Imaging Survey]