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The Vera C Rubin Observatory, the largest digital camera on Earth, has unveiled its first breathtaking images of the night sky offering an unprecedented view.
Credit: Intagram/@rubin_observatory
In their initial released image, the project’s scientists showcased an extraordinary view that captured light from millions of far-off stars and galaxies and exposed thousands of asteroids never seen before.
Credit: Intagram/@rubin_observatory
“Rubin Observatory is the greatest astronomical discovery machine ever built,” Zeljko Ivezic, the director of construction, said during the presentation revealing the first images.
Credit: Intagram/@rubin_observatory
He said that the total count of observed celestial bodies will, for the first time, exceed the number of people on Earth.
Credit: Intagram/@rubin_observatory
Over the next ten years, "the collected imagery" will be compiled into what he described as “the greatest movie ever made.”
Credit: Intagram/@rubin_observatory
A joint initiative of the US Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, the observatory is named after renowned astronomer Vera Rubin.
Credit: Intagram/@rubin_observatory
Perched atop a mountain in northern Chile, where the Andes meet the Atacama Desert, the observatory’s high-altitude, arid location provides exceptional clarity for observing the universe.
Credit: Intagram/@rubin_observatory
With its extensive data collection, the observatory will help astronomers probe dark energy, which causes the universe to expand at an increasing rate, and dark matter, a mysterious form of matter that holds galaxies together.
Credit: Intagram/@rubin_observatory
The telescope will also scan for near-Earth asteroids, identifying any that might pose a threat of impact.
Credit: Intagram/@rubin_observatory