This is the largest map of the universe ever made, and anyone can explore it
The universe is a big place, and while we're still unraveling the mysteries of the early universe, the James Webb Space Telescope has given us unprecedented looks at the cosmos around our little blue dot. Now, a massive trove of data from Webb has been released, including an interactive version of the largest map of the universe ever created.
The map, which was shared as part of the Cosmic Evolution Survey out of Caltech, mapped out roughly 0.54 square degrees of the sky. The map, in all, weighs in at around 1.5 TB of data. It's massive, to say the least.
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Included among the shiny objects you can see in the largest map of the universe ever created are galaxies and stars that date back 13.5 billion years. These are some of the earliest looks at the cosmos that we have ever had as humans. This is one of those times where the internet really proves its worth to the world, giving everyone free access to this data.
Researchers used James Webb's near infrared camera to map out the sky, capturing data across various stars and galaxies. And while the data is far too much for any one person to peer through alone, the interactive map means that you can easily take a look at everything Webb has collected, without having to dig into it deep enough to get lost. It also pairs really well with the most detailed map of the universe ever created.
The map easily loads up in your browser, too, so you don't have to jump through hoops to take a look. You can even change the view up by interacting with the various icons on the top right, which will allow you to look at images in NIRCam, RGB, and more. This gives you the most comprehensive viewing experience for this large map of the universe.
While you can't search for specific galaxies or stars based on name, you can easily sift through the map at your leisure, zooming in and out however you please. I highly recommend taking a look yourself, and enjoy the fruits of the labor that astronomers have been putting in over the past couple of years since Webb launched.
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