Latest news with #CerroPachon
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
First celestial images from 10-year project photographing the universe released
WASHINGTON – Like the first brush strokes on a massive canvas, the first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile are a glimpse at the larger picture of our universe to come. The $571-million National Science Foundation and Department of Energy facility on top of the summit of Cerro Pachon will create the largest astronomical movie yet of the Southern Hemisphere over 10 years, known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). On Monday, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory revealed its first images of the universe, taken over a period of hours, showcasing the incredible detailed imagery and scale the new facility is capable of. More images and video from these first-look images will be revealed at 11:30 a.m. ET during a live event in Washington. A high-definition stream will be shared live on YouTube here. Aaron Roodman, of Stanford University SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, leader of the LSST camera team, said they chose areas of sky that would be "interesting" for these first images, but it almost didn't matter where they looked. "We're going to see changing objects," Roodman said. "We're going to see moving objects. We're gonna get a view of thousands and thousands of galaxies and stars in any field we look at. So, in some sense, we could have looked anywhere and gotten fantastic images." Who Was Vera Rubin? Dark Matter Astronomer's Legacy Continues Through New Observatory The observatory took two decades to complete and was named after the astronomer credited with the first evidence of dark matter. Many in the scientific community still believe Rubin was overlooked for the Nobel Prize. The brightly colored cosmic landscape below of the Trifid and Lagoon nebulae was taken over seven hours and a combined 678 images. According to the NSF, the clouds of gas and dust are visible due to this image's layering process. Rubin's powerful digital camera was used to capture the Virgo cluster within our home galaxy, the Milky Way. The image below shows two spiral galaxies sparkling in blue, and the ghostly hue of merging galaxies in the upper right. The Rubin Observatory took more than 1,100 images, showcasing about 10 million galaxies. The galaxy map is just .05% of the 20 billion galaxies that will be captured during the course of the 10-year LSST. The speed and power of this new science tool collects petabytes of data – there are more than 1,000 terabytes per petabyte – requiring machine-learning algorithms and data management to process it all. Deputy Director for Data Management Yusra AlSayyad said the telescope will take an image of the night sky every 30 seconds. "That's way too fast for a human to be in the loop and decide where we're going to observe tonight," AlSayyad said. You can think of it as a robotic telescope where we are going to use an automated scheduler. To choose the best parts of the sky to observe tonight, in order to achieve the survey goals that we want." As the LSST camera collects more data, AlSayyad said it will see rare celestial events, only discovered if AI is always article source: First celestial images from 10-year project photographing the universe released
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
World's largest telescope unveils first images of galaxies in stunning detail
The first images from a new telescope in Chile were released this week, featuring extraordinarily detailed scenes from deep space. And more are expected to follow the debut series from the long-awaited Vera Rubin Observatory, which now houses the largest telescope in the world. More than two decades in the making, the giant U.S.-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. The first-look images captured star-forming regions as well as distant galaxies. One of them 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. "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. Elana Urbach, a commissioning scientist on the project, told CBS News partner BBC News that one of the observatory's main goals is to "understand the history of the universe." That would mean having the ability to see galaxies or supernova explosions that occurred billions of years ago, according to BBC News. "So, we really need very sharp images," Urbach said. The design of the telescope allows it to capture a lot of light, and, in turn, observe objects that are very far away, Guillem Megias, an optics expert at the Rubin Observatory, told BBC News. Megias noted that, in astronomy, "really far away ... means they come from earlier times." 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 U.S. 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. Kidney dialysis industry accused of maximizing profits over patients Pentagon officials reveal new details about U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites Netanyahu reacts to U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites
CBS News
3 hours ago
- Science
- CBS News
World's largest telescope unveils first images of distant galaxies in stunning detail: "Cosmic treasure chest"
The first images from a new telescope in Chile were released this week, featuring extraordinarily detailed scenes from deep space. And more are expected to follow the debut series from the long-awaited Vera Rubin Observatory, which now houses the largest telescope in the world. More than two decades in the making, the giant U.S.-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. The first-look images captured star-forming regions as well as distant galaxies. One of them 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 Trifid Nebula and the Lagoon Nebula. NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory 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. Spiral galaxies in the Virgo cluster are pictured among a larger cluster of galaxies. NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory 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. "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. A galactic preview of the unprecedented visuals to come TODAY at 11 a.m. EDT from the NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory. Watch the livestream here: 📹: National Science Foundation (NSF) - U.S. Department of Energy Vera C. Rubin Observatory #CaptureTheCosmos #RubinFirstLook Posted by National Science Foundation (NSF) on Sunday, June 22, 2025 Elana Urbach, a commissioning scientist on the project, told CBS News partner BBC News that one of the observatory's main goals is to "understand the history of the universe." That would mean having the ability to see galaxies or supernova explosions that occurred billions of years ago, according to BBC News. "So, we really need very sharp images," Urbach said. The design of the telescope allows it to capture a lot of light, and, in turn, observe objects that are very far away, Guillem Megias, an optics expert at the Rubin Observatory, told BBC News. Megias noted that, in astronomy, "really far away ... means they come from earlier times." 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 U.S. 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.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
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. "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. ia/des
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
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. "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. ia/des
