Hector-1: Unravelling how galaxies evolve

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This project aims to deliver the first part of Hector, an instrument that can produce three-dimensional (3D) images of 60,000 galaxies in 5 years. This is an improvement on the SAMI instrument at the Anglo-Australian Telescope, which obtains spectroscopy at 61 contiguous positions across each galaxy and provides information about stars and gas in each galaxy. The massive amount of 3D data obtained over this 5-year survey will unlock secrets about how spinning galaxies like our own form. This cosmological survey of the local universe is expected to reveal how galaxies, including the Milky Way, evolve and build up their spin with cosmic time. Spin-off technologies could have important industrial applications outside astronomy.