Chile observatory captures the universe with 3,200-megapixel camera
Located on Pachon Hill in the northern region of Coquimbo, the 8.4-meter (27-1/2-foot) telescope has a 3,200-megapixel camera feeding a powerful data processing system.
'It's really going to change and challenge the way people work with their data,' said William O'Mullane, a project manager focused on data at Vera Rubin.
The observatory detected over 2,100 previously unseen asteroids in 10 hours of observations, focusing on a small area of the visible sky. Its ground-based and space-based peers discover in total some 20,000 asteroids a year.
O'Mullane said the observatory would allow astronomers to collect huge amounts of data quickly and make unexpected finds.
'Rather than the usual couple of observations and writing an (academic) paper. No, I'll give you a million galaxies. I'll give you a million stars or a billion even, because we have them: 20 billion galaxy measurements,' he said.
The center is named after American astronomer Vera C. Rubin, a pioneer in finding conclusive evidence of the existence of large amounts of invisible material known as dark matter.
Each night, Rubin will take some 1,000 images of the southern hemisphere sky, letting it cover the entire southern sky every three or four nights. The darkest skies above the arid Atacama Desert make Chile one of the best places worldwide for astronomical observation.
'The number of alerts the telescope will send every night is equivalent to the inboxes of 83,000 people. It's impossible for someone to look at that one by one,' said astrophysicist Francisco Foster.
'We're going to have to use artificial intelligence tools.'
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Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Daily Maverick
Chile observatory captures the universe with 3,200-megapixel camera
Located on Pachon Hill in the northern region of Coquimbo, the 8.4-meter (27-1/2-foot) telescope has a 3,200-megapixel camera feeding a powerful data processing system. 'It's really going to change and challenge the way people work with their data,' said William O'Mullane, a project manager focused on data at Vera Rubin. The observatory detected over 2,100 previously unseen asteroids in 10 hours of observations, focusing on a small area of the visible sky. Its ground-based and space-based peers discover in total some 20,000 asteroids a year. O'Mullane said the observatory would allow astronomers to collect huge amounts of data quickly and make unexpected finds. 'Rather than the usual couple of observations and writing an (academic) paper. No, I'll give you a million galaxies. I'll give you a million stars or a billion even, because we have them: 20 billion galaxy measurements,' he said. The center is named after American astronomer Vera C. Rubin, a pioneer in finding conclusive evidence of the existence of large amounts of invisible material known as dark matter. Each night, Rubin will take some 1,000 images of the southern hemisphere sky, letting it cover the entire southern sky every three or four nights. The darkest skies above the arid Atacama Desert make Chile one of the best places worldwide for astronomical observation. 'The number of alerts the telescope will send every night is equivalent to the inboxes of 83,000 people. It's impossible for someone to look at that one by one,' said astrophysicist Francisco Foster. 'We're going to have to use artificial intelligence tools.'
TimesLIVE
05-06-2025
- TimesLIVE
Bail hearing over smuggled fungus scheduled for Chinese researcher
A Michigan court has scheduled a bail hearing on Thursday for a Chinese researcher accused of smuggling biological samples into the US. Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend Zunyong Liu, 34, who conducted biological studies in the same field, were accused of smuggling a fungus into the US for research. Jian, who according to a federal criminal complaint has worked on research projects in the US since 2022, made her first court appearance on Tuesday. Liu was denied entry into the US last July, when the pathogen, a fungus identified by the US department of justice as Fusarium graminearum, was found in his luggage. Liu said he wanted to conduct research on the fungus at a University of Michigan laboratory where Jian worked, according to the complaint. Prosecutors described the fungus as a dangerous biological pathogen that had the potential to be used as an agricultural terrorism weapon. The fungus is already widespread on US farms, tested for and tightly controlled in grains, and is not considered dangerous unless consumed in large quantities. Clair Keene, an agronomist at North Dakota State University, said she was puzzled by US authorities' description of the fungus. 'It's a common pathogen. We have it here. The claim that Fusarium graminearum can be used as a biological weapon doesn't strike me as accurate,' she said. The fungus can cause Fusarium head blight, typically known as scab. It is common among wheat, barley and other grains, especially during rainy years. The telltale salmon-pink streaks on the grain heads contain a toxic byproduct called vomitoxin, which in high quantities can cause nausea and vomiting when eaten. Keene said farmers often spray fungicide to protect their crop and researchers have developed strains of wheat that are resistant to the fungus. Reuters was unable to contact Jian or her lawyer for comment. The case involving the researchers comes as the University of Michigan and other universities have faced pressure from the Trump administration over allegations they have done too little to combat anti-Semitism on campus and what the administration depicts as radical ideology in the classroom. Universities' ties to China also have come under scrutiny. The University of Michigan said in a statement it condemned 'any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university's critical public mission'. 'It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals,' the university said, adding it will 'continue to co-operate' with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution. FBI director Kash Patel said in a post on X that the case was a reminder that China's ruling Communist Party 'is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences ... putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.' In response to a request for comment, the Chinese embassy in Washington sent a statement from its spokesperson Liu Pengyu. 'I don't know the specific situation, but I would like to emphasise that the Chinese government has always required overseas Chinese citizens to abide by local laws and regulations and will also resolutely safeguard their legitimate rights and interests,' Liu said.
IOL News
04-06-2025
- IOL News
Mystery 'golden egg' found on ocean floor
This image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska, shows an unidentified specimen on a rocky outcropping at a depth of about 3,300 meters in the Gulf of Alaska. A golden egg on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean? A golden egg, or an alien, on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean? American scientists have discovered a mysterious dome-shaped specimen deep on the Alaskan seafloor, but nobody knows for sure what it is. Ocean researchers using a remotely operated survey vehicle were amazed last week when they spotted the strange item on a rock about 3 300 meters deep in the Gulf of Alaska. It is over 10 centimeters in diameter and had a small tear near its base. "As cameras zoomed in, scientists were stumped as to its identification, with initial thoughts ranging from a dead sponge attachment, to coral, to an egg casing," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement. "Invoking almost fairytale-like imagery, the specimen has since been dubbed a 'golden orb' and even a 'golden egg,'" the agency added. "Isn't the deep sea so delightfully strange?" wondered Sam Candio, an NOAA Ocean Exploration coordinator. As theories swirled on social media, including that of it being an alien egg, scientists extracted their August 30 discovery from the ocean floor to analyze it in a laboratory setting. "While we were able to collect the 'golden orb' and bring it onto the ship, we still are not able to identify it beyond the fact that it is biological in origin," NOAA said. It remains unclear if the golden dome is associated with a known species, a new species, or represents an unknown life stage of an existing one, according to Candio. "While somewhat humbling to be stumped by this finding, it serves as a reminder of how little we know about our own planet and how much is left to learn and appreciate about our ocean," he added. The dive was part of an expedition in the Gulf of Alaska to explore deepwater habitats. | AFP
