Latest news with #VeraC.Rubin
Japan Today
10 hours ago
- Science
- Japan Today
Vera Rubin Observatory reveals first images of star-forming regions
The Trifid Nebula and the Lagoon Nebula -- stellar nurseries within our Milky Way -- are seen in unprecedented detail 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 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. 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. © 2025 AFP
Kuwait Times
11 hours ago
- Science
- Kuwait Times
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
Express Tribune
11 hours ago
- Science
- Express Tribune
World's largest camera captures first images at Vera Rubin Observatory
This image combines 678 separate images taken by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in just over seven hours of observing time. Combining many images in this way clearly reveals otherwise faint or invisible details, such as the clouds of gas and dust that comprise the Trifid nebula (top) and the Lagoon nebula, which are several thousand light-years away from Earth. PHOTO: Breathtaking, swirling, multicolored galaxies and star-forming regions were revealed Monday in the first images of deep space captured by the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile. 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 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. It features an advanced 8.4-meter telescope and the largest digital camera ever built, supported by a powerful data-processing system. Roughly the size of a car and weighing 2.8 tons, the camera captures 3,200-megapixel images -- more than three times the resolution of the next most powerful instrument, Japan's Hyper Suprime-Cam, which records at 870 megapixels. Later this year, the observatory 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, which cost roughly $800 million, 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. Chile hosts telescopes from more than 30 countries, including some of the world's most powerful astronomical instruments -- among them the ALMA Observatory, the most advanced radio telescope on Earth. The upcoming Extremely Large Telescope, slated to begin operations in 2027, will enable observations of previously unreachable cosmic distances. Northern Chile's deserts, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains, offer the clearest skies on the planet, thanks to minimal cloud cover and an arid climate. The Cerro Tololo Observatory has been the site of major discoveries, including the universe's accelerated expansion -- a breakthrough that earned Americans Saul Perlmutter and Adam Riess, along with Australian Brian Schmidt, the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Engadget
12 hours ago
- Science
- Engadget
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory shares first images from planned decade-long survey of the sky
The National Science Foundation just shared the first images captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a sample of the footage it'll capture as part of a planned decade-long survey that's starting later in 2025. The project, dubbed the "Legacy Survey of Time and Space" is predicted to lead to the discovery of "millions of new asteroids within the first two years" the survey is running. In just a 10 hour period, the National Science Foundation says that the Rubin Observatory "discovered 2,104 never-before-seen asteroids in our solar system, including seven near-Earth asteroids." The long-term survey project could lead to even more insights, particularly into larger cosmic unknowns like dark matter and dark energy. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. The idea is appropriate given the observatory's origins. Jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the Large Synoptic Telescope in Cerro Pachón, Chile was renamed the Vera C. Rubin Observatory after astronomer Vera C. Rubin, who's research into gravitational rotation was used as conclusive evidence of the existence of dark matter. The short video embedded above should give you a good sense of the scale of the Rubin Observatory's operation. That's a stitched together view of about 10 million galaxies captured during 10 hours of photography, "roughly .05 percent of the approximately 20 billion galaxies" the observatory will capture during its survey. "The amount of data gathered by Rubin Observatory in its first year alone will be greater than that collected by all other optical observatories combined," the National Science Foundation says. "This treasure trove of data will help scientists make countless discoveries about the universe and will serve as an incomparable resource for scientific exploration for decades to come."
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
New space telescope finds 2,100 asteroids even before official launch
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, even before its official opening, has identified over 2,100 new asteroids. This powerful telescope is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the solar system by potentially discovering millions of unknown space objects, including hazardous asteroids and the elusive Planet Nine. Named after astronomer Vera Rubin, it honors her dark matter research and legacy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is this important for Earth? Who was Vera C. Rubin? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads FAQs A giant new telescope in Chile called the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has already found over 2,100 new asteroids, before it's even officially started working. Built to scan the night sky again and again, this powerful telescope is expected to find millions of unknown space objects and could even help protect Earth from dangerous asteroids, as mentioned in the of these asteroids have tails like comets, which is rare. It may even spot interstellar objects, space rocks from outside our solar system, as stated by New York asteroids, on their way towards a collision with earth , can be tracked by it. Though usually in the Mars Jupiter belt, over the years asteroids have moved closer to earth. Though the life- ending asteroids that heralded the end of life on earth during the Dinosaur era are still far off, smaller ones are nearer than scientists might even find Planet Nine, a mystery planet scientists think might exist far away. It will rewrite what we know about our solar system, kind of like updating the space science textbook. Some people joke that the observatory might catch alien spaceships, but scientists don't really believe that, as per the report by the New York Rubin who lived from 1928 to 2016, was a U.S. astronomer who proved dark matter exists. She found that stars on galaxy edges moved way faster than expected, which means there's invisible stuff pulling on them, according to Gulf worked during an era when only few women were accepted in science, and because of which she became the biggest role model for many. The observatory is named in her honor to recognize both her groundbreaking scientific work and her remarkable Vera Rubin Observatory is a new telescope in Chile that has already discovered over 2,100 new asteroids before its official helps find hidden or dangerous asteroids that could come near Earth and may also discover Planet Nine or interstellar objects.
