Is that a Dark Snark?

The DECam (Dark Energy Camera) has started surveying the sky:

The goal is to discover the nature of dark energy, which is theorised to be responsible for the ever-faster expansion of the Universe.

"The achievement of first light through the Dark Energy Camera begins a significant new era in our exploration of the cosmic frontier," said James Siegrist, associate director of science for high-energy physics at the US Department of Energy, which oversaw the instrument's construction.

"The results of this survey will bring us closer to understanding the mystery of dark energy and what it means for the Universe."

Yeah, okay. Whatever. Good luck with that whole "dark energy" (cue spooky sounds) thing, Inspector Clouseau. It won't be a total waste of time and money, though:

The Dark Energy Survey's 570-million-pixel camera will scan some 300 million galaxies in the coming five years.

In time, along with its massive haul of individual galaxies, it will study 100,000 galaxy clusters - the largest stable structures we know of - and 4,000 supernovae, the bright dying throes of stars.

At least we'll get some really nice baseline data from the snark hunt. That may come in useful later on, when some less gullible people get access to it and stop looking for angels and leprechauns in the sky. I'd like to recommend that they rename it the Brahe Project.