Scientists hope Euclid telescope will reveal mysteries of dark matter

European space probe will capture images that will provide insights about what the universe is made of

In just a few weeks, a remarkable European probe will be blasted into space in a bid to explore the dark side of the cosmos.

The 1bn (850m) Euclid mission will investigate the universe's two most baffling components: dark energy and dark matter. The former is the name given to a mysterious force that was shown - in 1998 - to be accelerating the expansion of the universe, while the latter is a form of matter thought to pervade the cosmos, provide the universe with 80% of its mass, and act as a cosmic glue that holds galaxies together.