Groundbreaking Vera Rubin Observatory reveals first images
The team behind the long-awaited Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile published their first images on Monday, revealing breathtaking views of star-forming regions as well as distant galaxies. More than two decades in the making, the giant US-funded telescope sits perched at the summit of Cerro Pachon in central Chile, where dark skies and dry air provide ideal conditions for observing the cosmos.
One of the debut images is a composite of 678 exposures taken over just seven hours, capturing the Trifid Nebula and the Lagoon Nebula - both several thousand light-years from Earth - glowing in vivid pinks against orange-red backdrops. The image reveals these stellar nurseries within our Milky Way in unprecedented detail, with previously faint or invisible features now clearly visible.
Another image offers a sweeping view of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. The team also released a video dubbed the 'cosmic treasure chest,' which begins with a close-up of two galaxies before zooming out to reveal approximately 10 million more.
This undated handout image released by NSF-DOE shows a combination of 678 separate images taken by NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in just over seven hours of observing time.
'The Rubin Observatory is an investment in our future, which will lay down a cornerstone of knowledge today on which our children will proudly build tomorrow,' said Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Equipped with an advanced 8.4-meter telescope and the largest digital camera ever built, the Rubin Observatory is supported by a powerful data-processing system.
Later this year, it will begin its flagship project, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Over the next decade, it will scan the night sky nightly, capturing even the subtlest visible changes with unmatched precision. The observatory is named after pioneering American astronomer Vera C. Rubin, whose research provided the first conclusive evidence for the existence of dark matter - a mysterious substance that does not emit light but exerts gravitational influence on galaxies.
Dark energy refers to the equally mysterious and immensely powerful force believed to be driving the accelerating expansion of the universe. Together, dark matter and dark energy are thought to make up 95 percent of the cosmos, yet their true nature remains unknown. The observatory, a joint initiative of the US National Science Foundation and Department of Energy, has also been hailed as one of the most powerful tools ever built for tracking asteroids.
In just 10 hours of observations, the Rubin Observatory discovered 2,104 previously undetected asteroids in our solar system, including seven near-Earth objects - all of which pose no threat. For comparison, all other ground- and space-based observatories combined discover about 20,000 new asteroids per year. Rubin is also set to be the most effective observatory at spotting interstellar objects passing through the solar system. More images from the observatory are expected to be released later Monday morning. - AFP
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Other voters pushed back on exactly those issues, saying they are ready to forgive Cuomo and in fact look fondly toward him because of how well they remember him managing the pandemic. Mamdani has been talking up the need to turn the page to a new generation of politics while pitching an array of ideas to deal with the city's affordability crisis that range from rent freezes to city-owned and operated grocery stores. The 33-year-old, three-term assemblyman has caught fire in large part from disaffection, particularly among younger voters, with what the Democratic Party has been and how the 67-year-old Cuomo can seem like a walking metaphor for what they are trying to leave behind. Mamdani has said his lack of experience is a virtue both in making him free of scandals and in opening him up to new ways of thinking about what government can and should do. While Cuomo talks about the need for effective compromise, Mamdani said his uncompromising approach is precisely what New Yorkers want. 'So much of what he celebrates as his record are the things that he worked his hardest to water down when he was actually in power,' Mamdani said. 'An idea is only as good as its implementation. And these ideas we have put forward of freezing the rent and making buses fast and free, delivering universal childcare, we put them forward because we're confident we can deliver them.' Mamdani drew adamant opposition from some Democrats due to his socialist proposals and anger over his positions related to antisemitism and support for Israel. Mamdani refused to say he believed Israel had the right to exist as a Jewish state or condemn the phrase 'globalize the intifada,' referencing an Arabic term used by Palestinians to describe their uprising against Israel. Cuomo repeatedly accused Mamdani of fueling antisemitic hate, a charge Mamdani denied. 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If no candidate wins a majority of the first-choice votes, it'll be a week before the New York City Board of Elections releases a first look at the ranked-choice results on July 1. And that's assuming the board won't have another round of problems that they are infamous for. Or that there aren't legal challenges brought on by other problems. Primary day is going to be the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures expected to go over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That may keep older voters home, potentially hurting Cuomo, but it could also complicated organizing for less-involved voters, which could hurt Mamdani and the other candidates. Last week, the New York City Board of Elections announced that it would be distributing fans and water to polling sites without air conditioning. Multiple campaigns have already voiced their concerns about how the heat is going to be handled and how it may affect the results. And it may not just be about the voters who do or don't turn out: if polling sites are not able to operate properly of voting machines break down in the heat, legal challenges are expected. Known as a heavily Democratic city, New York has actually elected a Republican in five of its last eight mayoral elections – two times for Rudy Giuliani and three times for Mike Bloomberg, who had re-registered as an independent by his last race but appeared as the Republican candidate and has since become a Democrat again. (He's endorsed and donated to Cuomo.) Cuomo is looking at staying in on his own ballot line if he doesn't win on Tuesday. And the Working Families Party has its own ballot line and is expected to give it to Mamdani if he doesn't become the Democratic nominee. The Democratic primary winner will face Adams, the incumbent mayor who opted out of this year's primary four years after winning it and being hailed as a national leader for Democrats. Adams was indicted last year on charges that he accepted improper gifts and favors, a case that was dismissed by the Trump administration. There will also be a Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa. Unlike in the primary, there is no ranked-choice voting in November. Whoever wins the most votes outright will become mayor. CNN's Gloria Pazmino contributed to this report.
