Largest digital camera ever built reveals its first shots of the universe
The Vera C Rubin Observatory, located on a mountaintop in Chile, was built to take a deeper look at the night sky, covering hidden corners.
Funded by the US National Science Foundation and US Department of Energy, it will survey the southern sky for the next 10 years.
An image provided by the NSF-DOE Vera C Rubin Observatory (NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory via AP)
The observatory's first look features the vibrant Trifid and Lagoon nebulas located thousands of light-years from Earth.
A light-year is nearly six trillion miles. A gaggle of galaxies known as the Virgo Cluster were also captured, including two bright blue spirals.
The observatory hopes to image 20 billion galaxies and discover new asteroids and other celestial objects.
The effort is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who offered the first tantalising evidence that a mysterious force called dark matter might be lurking in the universe.
Researchers hope the observatory's discerning camera may yield clues about this elusive entity along with another called dark energy.
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The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
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Vera C. Rubin Observatory prepares to unveil cosmos: How to watch live
The National Science Foundation, which jointly funds and operates the observatory with the Department of Energy's Office of Science, has so far only released a handful of images and a brief video of the telescope in action. More images and video are on the way, all showcasing what the largest camera ever built has captured within just hours of beginning its observations. Here's what to know about the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and how to watch live as the first images it captured are released to the public. What is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory? Named for famous astronomer Vera Rubin, the observatory is perched on a mountain in northern Chile in the foothills of the Andes. Astronomers say the location is both high and dry enough to provide clear skies for observing the universe. For the next 10 years, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will observe and collect data on the southern night sky in our Milky Way and beyond. By recording the entire sky once every few nights, the observatory will eventually create a time-lapse record serving as "the largest astronomical movie of all time," according to its website. Plenty of cosmic wonders are expected to be revealed by the telescope, including thousands of previously unseen asteroids and millions of distant stars and galaxies. "With Rubin data we will gain a better understanding of our Universe, delve into the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and reveal answers to questions we have yet to imagine," the website states. How to see 1st images from telescope in Chile: Watch live The first spectacular images the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has captured are expected to be released during a public event beginning at 11 a.m. ET Monday, June 23, 2025. The National Science Foundation and Department of Energy will host a full reveal event streaming on the agency's YouTube channel. Live watch parties are also taking place all over the world. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Biggest digital camera ever built releases stunning pictures of the universe
The most powerful digital camera ever built has released its first pictures of the universe. Beautiful galaxies shine in the images that show a vast picture of colourful nebulae and stars. They come from the Vera C Rubin Observatory, which hopes to be able to continuously monitor the night sky with a view to better understanding the universe and its processes. By watching all the time, scientists hope to be able to create something like a rewindable video of the cosmos. Scientists hope that it can eventually be used to better understand asteroids, find the nature of mysterious dark matter and more. It takes its name from the astronomer whose work offered the first hints of the existence of dark matter. The first images are really intended to show the profound detail of the pictures, however. The camera has 3,200 megapixels – around 70 times that of the latest iPhone – making it precise enough to show a golf ball on the Moon. Scientists hope that detail will allow them to peer deep into the universe. 'The beautiful galaxies in the foreground of this image all live in our immediate cosmic neighbourhood,' said Benjamin Joachimi, from UCL's Department of Physics & Astronomy. 'We are much more excited about the many unassuming small blobs of light filling the background: most of these are also galaxies, just much further away from Earth. Together, they trace the large-scale distribution of matter in the Universe, which is shaped by the properties of dark matter and dark energy.'
The Independent
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Largest digital camera ever snaps amazing photos of the universe
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the largest digital camera ever built, released its first images of the universe, showcasing colorful nebulas, stars, and galaxies. Located on a mountaintop in Chile, the observatory was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy. Its initial glamour shots include the vibrant Trifid and Lagoon nebulas, located thousands of light-years from Earth, and a group of galaxies known as the Virgo Cluster. The observatory plans to survey the southern sky for the next 10 years, aiming to image 20 billion galaxies and discover new asteroids and other celestial objects. Named after astronomer Vera Rubin, the project hopes its discerning camera will yield clues about elusive entities like dark matter and dark energy.
