Rubin Observatory unveils first dazzling images of deep space
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has just unveiled a breathtaking preview of what's to come from its 10-year cosmic survey — and it's nothing short of spectacular.
The observatory released teaser images featuring the Trifid and Lagoon nebulas, vividly captured using its powerful 3,200-megapixel camera, the largest ever built for astronomy. These two star-forming regions, located thousands of light-years away in the Milky Way, offer an exquisite glimpse into the early stages of stellar birth.
In just 10 hours of observations, the Rubin Observatory captured millions of galaxies and a rich array of asteroids. The data marks the beginning of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) — an ambitious project to scan the entire southern sky every few days in near-ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared light. Over the next decade, each part of the sky will be imaged approximately 800 times, compiling what scientists describe as a massive cosmic timelapse.
The released image is a composite of 678 exposures collected over seven hours, emphasizing the observatory's capability to reveal the intricate structures of nebulas and the secrets they hold about star formation.
A full reveal of Rubin's early image set is scheduled for 23 June 2025 at 15:00 UTC (11:00 EDT), hosted by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Energy (DOE). Live viewing events are being held globally, and the event will be livestreamed on YouTube.
"NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory will capture more information about our Universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined," said Brian Stone, acting NSF director. 'It's a leap forward in exploring the dark matter and dark energy that shape our cosmos.'
The Rubin Observatory is now poised to become one of the most significant astronomical instruments of our time, ushering in a new era of discovery and understanding of the Universe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
To lead globally, India must not just invite R&D global excellence — it must be ready to host it
For starters, you'll have to make better offers than that In 1950, the US made a radical wager: that funding curiosity - unapologetic curiosity - through the installation of the National Science Foundation (NSF) could change the world. The payoff was immense. For every $1 of public research funding, the US economy gained between $1.50 and $3. Over 260 NSF grant recipients went on to become Nobel to 2025. The US has proposed a 56.9% cut to NSF's 2026 budget - even as last Friday, a federal judge blocked the move - eliminated over 1,400 grants worth more than $1 bn, and slashed graduate science fellowships by half. In real terms, this means 46,000 jobs lost, and a $6.1 bn hit to GDP through supply chain effects and declining R&D demand. Efficiency concerns are prompting the US to cut back on scientific research. A March 2025 Nature survey shows 75% of US-based scientists, and 79% of postgraduate and PhD students are considering leaving the country. This moment is India's opportunity. With less than 0.7% of GDP spent on R&D and 15 researchers per 1 lakh people (compared to 423 in the US and 1,307 in South Korea), India is underbuilt, but not incapable. If India reforms its institutions, funds bold research and builds real pathways for global talent, it can become not just the world's back office but also its brain. The question isn't whether top minds will leave the US, but where they'll land. China has been years ahead in recognising that talent is the new oil. Through flagship programmes like Thousand Talents Plan (TTP) and Young Thousand Talents (YTT), China has systematically built a global pipeline for high-end scientific talent. TTP offers extraordinary incentives: A one-time bonus of 1 mn renminbi ($140,000), 3-5 mn renminbi in research grants, housing subsidies, relocation allowances and access to senior roles in academia and industry. By 2017, TTP had recruited over 7,000 high-calibre professionals, including Nobel laureates and faculty from MIT, Stanford and Oxford. Sent out 3,500 offers between 2011 and 2017, targeting PhDs from the top 100 STEM universities. A January 2023 study in Science, 'Has China's Young Thousand Talents program been successful in recruiting and nurturing top-caliber scientists?', found YTT awardees averaged 2.39 publications a year and ranked in the top 15% of Chinese-origin US researchers by May, the EU launched a ₹500 mn ($576 mn) 'Choose Europe for Science' campaign aimed at attracting global scientific talent between 2025 and 2027. The initiative offers super grants with relocation bonuses and longer contracts. France has pledged ₹100 mn ($115 mn) under this framework, alongside a separate 'Choose France for Science' co-funding platform. This investment comes as the EU seeks to reverse its declining share in global research output, calling on member states to commit 3% of GDP to R&D by has instituted a range of talent- return and international collaboration programmes, including the Ramanujan Fellowship, VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research), VAIBHAV (Vaishwik Bharatiya Vaigyanik), SIRE (Science and Engineering Research Board International Research Experience) and GETin (Genome Engineering/Editing Technologies Initiative), to integrate diaspora scientists and enhance domestic R&D capabilities. However, these schemes have challenges: They are fragmented across ministries. Structurally, most programmes are fellowship-based with finite tenures, lack tenure-track conversion mechanisms and fail to offer institutional integration or strategic roles within national labs. Funding levels - typically ranging between ₹85,000 and ₹1.35 lakh a month - with modest research grants, are insufficient to attract global talent or bring Indian researchers back. Lack of state-of-the-art lab infra, especially outside IISc and IITs, undermines India's competitiveness as a research destination. Returnee scientists often face asymmetric institutional conditions, like outdated equipment, poor administrative support and rigid procurement protocols. Administrative inefficiencies are common deterrents, such as delays in grant disbursal, compliance burdens and lack of autonomy in fund utilisation. Cultural resistance within host institutions, coupled with absence of structured onboarding, inter-institutional mobility or peer networks, has often isolated returnees. Absence of a mission-oriented innovation agenda means returnees are not embedded in coherent national-level grand challenges. But India's scientific ecosystem has begun to witness a quiet revolution, with momentum accelerating. There is a concerted effort by several ministries towards bringing in reforms for the ease of doing research. Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) marks a foundational shift in how the country approaches research funding and governance. It's centralising fragmented efforts and introducing coherence across aims to become the backbone of India's R&D architecture. New funding mechanisms, like the Advanced Research Grant (ARG), are being introduced. It's designed to serve as a stable, long-term 'bread-and-butter' grant for Indian scientists. Simultaneously, critical financial reforms are underway to make research more frictionless. These include streamlining fund disbursal, easing utilisation norms and granting greater autonomy to India must seize this rare moment to launch a unified, mission-driven, talent-attraction programme targeting researchers from the world's top 100 STEM institutions. The lure of being back home must be supplemented with state-orchestrated short-term schemes are no longer sufficient. What's needed is a cross-ministerial effort aligned with national innovation priorities and backed by investment in cutting-edge lab infra. To lead globally, India must not just invite excellence - it must be ready to host it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Second only to L&T, but controversies may weaken this infra powerhouse's growth story Looking for quick buck in unlisted shares? Better think twice! How Vedanta's Anil Agarwal bettered Warren Buffett in returns Rivers are moving more goods than before. But why aren't they making a splash yet? Stock Radar: Supreme Industries stock down by about 30%! Breakout from rounding bottom formation suggests bulls are catching up Two Trades for Today: A large-cap auto major for 6.7% gain, a mid-cap auto stock for almost 7% rise After a gap of 4 years, are HDFC, Axis, Kotak banks ready for re-rating? 5 bank stocks with upside potential of up to 35% For medium- to long-term investors with moderate risk appetite: 6 large-cap stocks with an upside potential of up to 40%
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
New space telescope finds 2,100 asteroids even before official launch
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, even before its official opening, has identified over 2,100 new asteroids. This powerful telescope is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the solar system by potentially discovering millions of unknown space objects, including hazardous asteroids and the elusive Planet Nine. Named after astronomer Vera Rubin, it honors her dark matter research and legacy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is this important for Earth? Who was Vera C. Rubin? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads FAQs A giant new telescope in Chile called the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has already found over 2,100 new asteroids, before it's even officially started working. Built to scan the night sky again and again, this powerful telescope is expected to find millions of unknown space objects and could even help protect Earth from dangerous asteroids, as mentioned in the of these asteroids have tails like comets, which is rare. It may even spot interstellar objects, space rocks from outside our solar system, as stated by New York asteroids, on their way towards a collision with earth , can be tracked by it. Though usually in the Mars Jupiter belt, over the years asteroids have moved closer to earth. Though the life- ending asteroids that heralded the end of life on earth during the Dinosaur era are still far off, smaller ones are nearer than scientists might even find Planet Nine, a mystery planet scientists think might exist far away. It will rewrite what we know about our solar system, kind of like updating the space science textbook. Some people joke that the observatory might catch alien spaceships, but scientists don't really believe that, as per the report by the New York Rubin who lived from 1928 to 2016, was a U.S. astronomer who proved dark matter exists. She found that stars on galaxy edges moved way faster than expected, which means there's invisible stuff pulling on them, according to Gulf worked during an era when only few women were accepted in science, and because of which she became the biggest role model for many. The observatory is named in her honor to recognize both her groundbreaking scientific work and her remarkable Vera Rubin Observatory is a new telescope in Chile that has already discovered over 2,100 new asteroids before its official helps find hidden or dangerous asteroids that could come near Earth and may also discover Planet Nine or interstellar objects.
Hans India
5 hours ago
- Hans India
Rubin Observatory unveils first dazzling images of deep space
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has just unveiled a breathtaking preview of what's to come from its 10-year cosmic survey — and it's nothing short of spectacular. The observatory released teaser images featuring the Trifid and Lagoon nebulas, vividly captured using its powerful 3,200-megapixel camera, the largest ever built for astronomy. These two star-forming regions, located thousands of light-years away in the Milky Way, offer an exquisite glimpse into the early stages of stellar birth. In just 10 hours of observations, the Rubin Observatory captured millions of galaxies and a rich array of asteroids. The data marks the beginning of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) — an ambitious project to scan the entire southern sky every few days in near-ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared light. Over the next decade, each part of the sky will be imaged approximately 800 times, compiling what scientists describe as a massive cosmic timelapse. The released image is a composite of 678 exposures collected over seven hours, emphasizing the observatory's capability to reveal the intricate structures of nebulas and the secrets they hold about star formation. A full reveal of Rubin's early image set is scheduled for 23 June 2025 at 15:00 UTC (11:00 EDT), hosted by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Energy (DOE). Live viewing events are being held globally, and the event will be livestreamed on YouTube. "NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory will capture more information about our Universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined," said Brian Stone, acting NSF director. 'It's a leap forward in exploring the dark matter and dark energy that shape our cosmos.' The Rubin Observatory is now poised to become one of the most significant astronomical instruments of our time, ushering in a new era of discovery and understanding of the Universe.
